Claire Heywood's debut novel, Hijas de Esparta ( Daughters of Sparta ), offers a historical reimagining of the Trojan War focused on the human experiences of Helen and Clytemnestra, stripping away divine intervention to examine the lives of women in a patriarchal society. Critics have lauded the work for its historical realism and feminist perspective, which reframes the sisters from passive historical figures into complex, "flesh and blood" characters. More details are available in the review from Historical Novel Society . Reimagining the Women of the Past: DAUGHTERS OF SPARTA