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The Stolen Women
Not yet published
Expected 27 Oct 26A case of missing noble women and a determined young warrior who sets out to bring them home in this new and exciting ancient historical set just before the founding of Rome, for fans of The Song of Achilles, Circe, and A Thousand Ships.
Safinia is fine to focus on her training as a warrior, providing for her sisters, and minding her own business. She feels no great need to meddle in anyone else's, until women in her town, including her former lover, begin disappearing. Quietly, at first, but disappearing just the same. All of the missing women have vanished from powerful households, but their formidable fathers are in utter denial, claiming their daughters are off on trips, sure to be back shortly, with perfectly reasonable explanations for their absences.
Dissatisfied with the half-hearted attempts to hand wave away the alarming and mysterious cases of the vanishing women, Safinia takes matters into her own hands, embarking on a journey to a neighboring village in search of answers or at the very least clues that might unearth threads she can begin to pull at. Along the way, she meets an unlikely yet helpful search partner, a historian who calls himself Livy. But despite his eerie sense of knowledge, Safinia is unable to uncover to missing women, thwarted more often than not by the girls' fathers themselves. As war with Rome looms on the horizon, Safinia must face the reality that the only one she can trust to bring them home is herself.
Alysandra Dutton has crafted an expertly researched and indepth look at the Sabine women, one of history's most overlooked yet crucial stories that has inspired countless works of art throughout the centuries. It's a fresh, page-turning adventure, perfect for readers of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes.
Safinia is fine to focus on her training as a warrior, providing for her sisters, and minding her own business. She feels no great need to meddle in anyone else's, until women in her town, including her former lover, begin disappearing. Quietly, at first, but disappearing just the same. All of the missing women have vanished from powerful households, but their formidable fathers are in utter denial, claiming their daughters are off on trips, sure to be back shortly, with perfectly reasonable explanations for their absences.
Dissatisfied with the half-hearted attempts to hand wave away the alarming and mysterious cases of the vanishing women, Safinia takes matters into her own hands, embarking on a journey to a neighboring village in search of answers or at the very least clues that might unearth threads she can begin to pull at. Along the way, she meets an unlikely yet helpful search partner, a historian who calls himself Livy. But despite his eerie sense of knowledge, Safinia is unable to uncover to missing women, thwarted more often than not by the girls' fathers themselves. As war with Rome looms on the horizon, Safinia must face the reality that the only one she can trust to bring them home is herself.
Alysandra Dutton has crafted an expertly researched and indepth look at the Sabine women, one of history's most overlooked yet crucial stories that has inspired countless works of art throughout the centuries. It's a fresh, page-turning adventure, perfect for readers of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 20, 2026
This started off a little slow for me however , once l got to about 25% in, it started picking up and I was hooked. I wasn't expecting the twist and betrayals that had happened, it definitely took me by surprise.
I enjoyed going along this story with our fmc and seeing how she faced the unexpected challenges that were presented to her.
The world building was intricate, detail oriented and did a good job of painting a vivid picture. The betrayal, loss and trauma was emotional and gut wrenching.
There was a lot of information and the background and story is so powerful and inspiring to read about, I just felt like at some points it kind of made me feel like I was reading a text book.
The ending also just left me wanting more.
* thank you for the opportunity to read the arc of this wonderful story *
I enjoyed going along this story with our fmc and seeing how she faced the unexpected challenges that were presented to her.
The world building was intricate, detail oriented and did a good job of painting a vivid picture. The betrayal, loss and trauma was emotional and gut wrenching.
There was a lot of information and the background and story is so powerful and inspiring to read about, I just felt like at some points it kind of made me feel like I was reading a text book.
The ending also just left me wanting more.
* thank you for the opportunity to read the arc of this wonderful story *
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Stolen Women is a fascinating historical fiction based on the rape and kidnapping of the Sabine women, which is a myth about the inception of Rome. I knew nothing of the Sabine women going in and after reading the acknowledgements, immediately went and did a bunch of research to see what the myth itself was.
This definitely isn't a feel good story, but I don't think it's meant to be. Dutton weaves the real myth into the fictional Safinius family, headed by Safinia, as they navigate the disappearances of many women in their territory. I love how this myth has been flipped on its head and told by the women.
Safinia is an interesting character and a strong protagonist. Her inner dialogue was very interesting to me. I liked how often we learned about her opinions about gods and the other people she was close with in her town. Her sisters were also really interesting. I almost wish we got to see more of them so we could've developed more of a connection, especially since they had intriguing reactions to all the tragedy. I also love how Safinia's flaws are very evident throughout the story, but can act as strengths (for instance, her impulsivity and proclivity to back-talk lead her into sticky situations, but also make her heroic as she is unafraid to stand up to injustice).
The only issue I had with the book was some confusion surrounding the character Livy, based on a real person I believe, and his motivations for helping Safinia. However, this is minor and only surfaces towards the end of the book, but I do not think it will hinder the reading experience.
Overall, I like that this book opted for a more realistic ending instead of a "feel good" one and I'm glad the author decided to produce this work. Even if the rape and kidnapping of the Sabine women is a myth with no historical verification, it is likely based on some kernel of truth of what was done to women then. The pure rage and disgust that our main character Safinia feels towards the idea of rape and control of women feels necessary. I hope this work resonates with other women as it did with me.
This definitely isn't a feel good story, but I don't think it's meant to be. Dutton weaves the real myth into the fictional Safinius family, headed by Safinia, as they navigate the disappearances of many women in their territory. I love how this myth has been flipped on its head and told by the women.
Safinia is an interesting character and a strong protagonist. Her inner dialogue was very interesting to me. I liked how often we learned about her opinions about gods and the other people she was close with in her town. Her sisters were also really interesting. I almost wish we got to see more of them so we could've developed more of a connection, especially since they had intriguing reactions to all the tragedy. I also love how Safinia's flaws are very evident throughout the story, but can act as strengths (for instance, her impulsivity and proclivity to back-talk lead her into sticky situations, but also make her heroic as she is unafraid to stand up to injustice).
The only issue I had with the book was some confusion surrounding the character Livy, based on a real person I believe, and his motivations for helping Safinia. However, this is minor and only surfaces towards the end of the book, but I do not think it will hinder the reading experience.
Overall, I like that this book opted for a more realistic ending instead of a "feel good" one and I'm glad the author decided to produce this work. Even if the rape and kidnapping of the Sabine women is a myth with no historical verification, it is likely based on some kernel of truth of what was done to women then. The pure rage and disgust that our main character Safinia feels towards the idea of rape and control of women feels necessary. I hope this work resonates with other women as it did with me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I am totally obsessed with THE STOLEN WOMEN! Before reading, I knew very little about Sabine culture—but Alys Dutton knows how to do her research and share it with her reader in an engrossing way. I was so pulled into this book, especially because Safinia is the kind of protagonist you would go anywhere with. And in the end, I was left really thinking about how this book connects with our world (especially America) today. What does it mean to want to write history and empire, and who suffers in the process?
Thank you to Alys Dutton and Park Row for sending me an advanced copy!
Thank you to Alys Dutton and Park Row for sending me an advanced copy!
July 13, 2026
This was a spectacular read, viscerally satisfying - I have to say immediately that I loved the permeation of history-making through the narrative with these kind of intriguing supernatural moments with Livy the historian. The plotting felt natural and organic, and the characterizations! I loved the relationships between Safinia and her family/friends/enemies; this is how complexity and nuance should be developed and conveyed! The political intrigue was controlled and developed, and the main point of autonomy was writ large at all scales: personal, interpersonal, townships to governments.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Loved my experience reading this book! The world is so full and the characters are beautifully complex--they've got edges, they've got teeth. Imagine a noir set in Ancient Rome with a lovable, grumpy, queer detective embroiled in her own relationship drama, trying so hard to keep her family together but also beholden to her own morality. The inclusion of Livy especially gives the book this wonderful strangeness that somehow made the story feel more real.
Thanks for the advanced copy!
Thanks for the advanced copy!
September 23, 2026
An exceptional read, sweeping and ambitious. It’s detailed examination of the early Rome and its environs are crystallized perfectly for us to walk through and touch. Our hero Safinia is imperfect and tough, but the cast of characters around her balance her perfectly. The inclusion of Livy is brilliant and essential
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews