A Thousand Ships, which was first published in 2020, is author Natalie Haynes' retelling of the Trojan war from the perspective of the women who fought in it. The Trojan war, like all of the wars which preceded it and all of the wars which came after, was as much a women's war as it was a war for men. Specifically, A Thousand Ships follows a woman who wakes up one day to find that her beloved city of Troy has fallen after over a decade of war. And that woman, as well as all other women in Troy, must contend with their new lives, which have changed dramatically overnight.
When it was published, A Thousand Ships received very positive reviews from critics and audiences of the novel, who praised Haynes' writing, the novel's themes, and the book's story and characters. Publisher's Weekly is one critic who loved the novel. In their review, they said that "Haynes shines by twisting common perceptions of the Trojan War and its aftermath to capture the women’s experiences." Carol Memmot of The Washington Post said in her glowing review of Haynes’ novel that "A Thousand Ships brilliantly reframes the Trojan War."
