The Sweet Girl, Annabel Lyon’s second historical novel, is a striking vision of Pythias, Aristotle’s daughter and eldest child – a figure barely mentioned in historical sources. Here, Aristotle teaches Pythias to read, write, dissect animals, swim, ride horses and think through and discuss complex philosophical ideas, all less than appropriate activities for a young woman in ancient Macedonia.

So when her father dies, Pythias is left with no ally. Her brother and surrogate mother are sent away and she is left to face the difficulties of running a household by herself and surviving with very little money, in a world where women’s opinions are of no value. It’s a shock to learn how limited her options for survival actually are: companionship (high-class prostitution), temple work (which she learns is corrupt), midwifery (where she discovers infanticide is common) or begging.

The sexism is difficult to read about, but Lyon’s ancient world is a complex one. The author doesn’t shy away from describing the flaws of individual female characters, nor the kindness of some men, and focuses on how Pythias might actually negotiate some sort of contentment under very difficult circumstances. The characters seem real, rather than simply types, and Pythias’ inner thoughts and subtle reactions resonated strongly with me.

The book also seemed impeccably researched. The food and drink, clothes, social and funerary traditions and medical procedures are all fascinating to read about. While Pythias’ experiences are largely fictionalised, the culture of ancient Macedonia and Chalcis is so richly detailed that her story seems likely to have occurred – if not for her, then at least for other women of her time.

Julia Tulloh is a Melbourne-based freelance writer