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Daughters of Sparta is a book about the two princesses of the the great Spartan empire: Klytemnestra and Helen. It begins when the two girls are little and follows them all the way through the end of the Trojan War. As most know, Helen ends up leaving her husband, Menelaus, and fleeing to Troy with the handsome Paris. Klytemnestra, on the other hand, has a darker role in mythology, as most know what she does to her husband, Agamemnon. The story is about the bond of sisters and also what it was like to be a woman at such a time. 

This book was amazing. I absolutely fell in love with the writing and the story. The story is beautiful, though also devastating. It is all about what life would have been like to be a woman, specifically a noble woman, in ancient times. From a young age, Helen and Klytemnestra are told that they must be good wives and bear many heirs. They each understand their duty, but are thrust into them at very young ages. As teenagers, they understand that they are expected to be both wives and mothers, whose husbands control their every move. They must deal with abuse, affairs, depression and various mental traumas all alone and are expected to bear it without complaints. As women, they are not allowed to speak out or voice their opinions. Even worse, they must undergo all of this as mere teenagers.

I also loved that this book told the entire story of Helen of Troy. In so many stories, Helen is just a pretty face and the reason for war, but in this book she is so much more. She is a young girl trying to find her place. She is a child who is afraid and lonely. She just wants to be loved and understood by someone. This book made Helen a real person, not just an object hidden behind the walls of troy. In this story, Helen isn’t naive or villainous, she is just a little girl trying to figure out her life. While reading, I felt extremely attached to Helen. I could see myself in her. 

The book was extremely well written. It stuck with me for weeks after reading it. I didn’t even realize how much of an impact it made on me until I finished it and had begun my next book. The issues the book addresses are still so universal today, but also there are some that are unique to ancient greek times. It told the story of motherhood and betrayal and disappointment. As I read, I felt like I was living through each event and standing next to each character as they faced various trauma. This book changed my perspective on what it means to be a woman. It showed me how powerless women once were, and in a way, still are. But it also showed me how strong women are and how, despite the desire to give up all together, two women decided to do what they could with what they had and chase after a life they desired. 

This book is one of the few that completely wrenched my heart. I grew so connected to the characters without even realizing it. Everything that happened to them, I felt happened to me. I loved how the book focused on the women in the trojan war, especially klymnestra. In so many stories, Kylmnestra is the villain. People make her out to be some treacherous woman who destroyed lives and who eventually got what was coming to her. But this story gave Klymnestra her humanity back. I related to her as a person as well as an older sister. She isn’t a villain at all, but rather a beautiful person trying to do what is right.

This book is in no way a happy ending. Despite this, I would definitely recommend reading it. It is a beautiful story that brought light to so many traumas. Please read this book. There are a thousand different meanings that can be taken from it. It is really personal that way. I think everyone can find some aspect to relate to and some character to see themselves in. READ THIS BOOK!