Facing Down the Furies is a very personal and emotional book that discloses heartbreaking details from the author’s family history: several members of Edith Hall’s family have ended their lives by suicide, including her great-grandfather and grandmother. Hall’s mother did not die by her own hand but aided her demise by refusing food when facing cancer. So much transgenerational grief is reminiscent of family curses seen in Greek fictional literature (e.g. Aeschylus’ Oresteia) and should never have happened. When it does, however, this book is there to help us understand and cope.

Hall sets the scene with an overview of historical attitudes towards suicide before sharing the poignant tales of her loved ones and discussing the lingering effects their actions had (and still have) on those left behind. We learn about Hall’s mother’s mental health battles following the death of her own mother in the 1960s. The lack of professional support available for those affected by suicide at the time did not help with her recovery from this traumatic experience, and the resulting silence that followed negatively impacted the relationship between Hall and her mother. Hall herself acknowledges persistent mental health issues, which nearly cost her own life in the 1980s. In fact, Hall’s therapists are the first to receive thanks in the book’s acknowledgements section for their ‘psychiatric and medical help’ (227). It is probably fair to say that many of us would struggle to find the courage to share such experiences with the world so openly, and even Hall admits that she is not ready to disclose all the details (198). Rather than dwelling on past pains, Hall’s aim in writing this book is to show us the healing powers of Greek tragedies, which have helped her understand and ease ‘the psychological pain suicide causes’ (2). Her hope is that others may benefit from reading and discussing these ancient texts, too (204).

Hall weaves an analysis of several well-known plays into the narrative of her family history. I have already referenced the family curse that permeates Aeschylus’ Oresteia: the trilogy is a prime example of what it means to be haunted by and face the Furies. Sophocles’ Ajax then illustrates the determination with which those bent on suicide trick their loved ones to achieve their goal. Alcestis’ self-sacrifice saves her husband, but it also hurts her children. The lamentation of her son in particular makes it clear that suicide does not only injure the individual who takes their life (early in the book, Hall discusses Aristotle’s question, ‘whom does suicide injure?’, 36). To the contrary, the carefully selected examples that Hall examines gently remind the reader that suicide causes irreversible damage both to the bereaved family members and to wider society.

But there is hope. Euripides’ Heracles furens teaches us how to deal with suicidal thoughts and even provides us with a helpful template for handling suicidal crises. Themes such as ‘non-judgementalism, physical support, affirmations of loyalty, acknowledgement of the scale of [the victim’s] suffering, […], expression of deep sympathy, reminders of how much [the victim] is loved and needed, and extensive quiet listening’ (189) are critical, and Hall encourages everyone touched by suicide, or by threats or impulses to die by suicide to read the play (190). The book then ends on a happier note, with Hall explaining that the tragedies, along with a personal pilgrimage through the places that are linked with her family history, finally helped her find inner peace.

Hall has put much effort into presentation, too. Her text is well written, using plain and simple language. It is accompanied by 20 black-and-white images, many of which allow us to look into the faces of the main figures of Hall’s story (e.g. her grandmother and mother). There is also a map that shows key locations in their lives’ journeys. All this makes it clear to the reader that they are not reading a work of fiction. The reader will also appreciate the extensive bibliography, which, alongside modern works, also references English translations of relevant ancient literature. Such care assures that even readers who are not expert classicists can benefit from the powerful message of the book. All in all, Hall succeeds in every way in presenting an emotional, approachable and, importantly, non-judgemental book, which will no doubt help others face down the Furies.