Daughters of Sparta
Books | Fiction / Historical / Ancient
3.8
(343)
Claire Heywood
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER! For millennia, men have told the legend of the woman whose face launched a thousand ships—but now it's time to hear her side of the story. Daughters of Sparta is a tale of secrets, love, and tragedy from the women behind mythology's most devastating war, the infamous Helen and her sister Klytemnestra. As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivaled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece. But such privilege comes at a cost. While still only girls, the sisters are separated and married to foreign kings of their father's choosing—the powerful Agamemnon, and his brother Menelaos. Yet even as Queens, each is only expected to do two things: birth an heir and embody the meek, demure nature that is expected of women.But when the weight of their husbands' neglect, cruelty, and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, Helen and Klytemnestra must push against the constraints of their society to carve new lives for themselves, and in doing so, make waves that will ripple throughout the next three thousand years.Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating reimagining of the Siege of Troy, told through the perspectives of two women whose voices have been ignored for far too long. "Required reading for fans of Circe, and a remarkable, thrilling debut." —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue“[A] gorgeous retelling of the classic Greek myth... Absolutely riveting!” —Alka Joshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Henna Artist
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More Details:
Author
Claire Heywood
Pages
400
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2021-06-22
ISBN
0593184378 9780593184370
Community ReviewsSee all
"I had high hopes for this book after hearing it compared to Circe & Ariadne, but, unfortunately, I really didn’t love this book. The plot itself was way more depressing than I had expected (get ready to think about how terribly women were treated throughout history), and the ending felt incredibly abrupt. I wanted a story of two sisters who faced & challenged the structure ancient world, and all I got was the harsh reality of history. Not what I expected, but maybe that’s the point!"
"About women really. Soooo many good quotes in here. So frustrating and empowering and really makes you think about what you want to be as a women. also tackles some conversations about good vs evil and I think did a really good job of not putting direct blame on anyone. I can’t find a single thing wrong with it. totally recommend!! 4/5 stars"
K A
Kyley Atkinson
"We know this tale, but we do not know it like this. There are moments when you hate the characters and moments you love them. This reveals their true human nature throughout. "
L M
Lindsey MacGregor