Publisher's Synopsis
In Greek mythology, Atlas, a member of the original race of gods called Titans, is punished for leading a rebellion against the new deities, the Olympians. Atlas, guardian of the Garden of Hesperides and its golden apples of life, is forced to bear the weight of the heavens for eternity. When Heracles is tasked with stealing these apples he seeks out Atlas, offering to shoulder the world temporarily if the Titan will bring him the fruit. Knowing that Heracles is the only person with the strength to take his burden, Atlas agrees and an uneasy partnership is born. With her typical wit and verve, Jeanette Winterson brings Atlas into the 21st century. Visionary and inventive, Winterson's skill in turning the familiar on its head and showing us a different truth is once more put to dazzling effect.