Blog Entry: Heroines and a Giveaway
I really, really love strong heroines in books. Sometimes they're physically strong - I just finished reading Alyxandra Harvey's Blood Feud and adored the fact that the heroine, who started out as a delicate 18th-century debutante, has turned into a strong, mature woman who is far better at fighting than the book's 21st-century vampire hero (who is mostly described as "pretty", has a penchant for lace cuffs on his pirate shirts, and absolutely adores the fact that the heroine is so tough).
On the other hand, sometimes it's moral or intellectual strength that appeals most to me, like in the case of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, who tends to be the smartest & wittiest person in any room, and who utterly refuses to marry any man she doesn't respect, no matter how rich he might be. Jane Eyre is another example - she might be poor and plain and alone in the world, but she won't let anyone - not even the man she loves - pressure her into doing what she believes is morally wrong.
When I first heard about Erin Blakemore's book The Heroine's Bookshelf: Life Lessons from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder, I was really intrigued. Then I read a draft of it, and fell head over heels in love.
Chapter by chapter, Erin talks about fabulous woman authors and the fictional heroines they created, from Jane Austen to Zora Neale Hurston, Laura Ingalls Wilder to Alice Walker. There are chapters on books I read and loved as a kid, like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Anne of Green Gables, and I loved being reminded so beautifully of those books, and learning so many interesting new things about their authors. There are also chapters on books I've never read but now MUST read after her enticing descriptions of them, like Their Eyes Were Watching God. Each chapter gives tribute to the fabulous heroines Erin loves, and to the authors, flawed and fabulous heroines themselves, many of whom were battling truly horrific circumstances.
This is a book to sink into and LOVE. It's warm and fun and inspiring and also full of fascinating information. At the end of each chapter, Erin suggests times when these particular heroines - fictional or authorial - might be just what you need to get through your own difficult circumstances.
By the time I finished reading the book, I'd already realized that I wanted to buy copies for almost every woman I know. The book isn't out until October...but luckily, I can already start giving it away. Erin's donated one ARC of the book to be given to a reader of this blog. The giveaway is open internationally, and all you have to do is leave a comment telling me your favorite literary heroine. (She can be a fictional character or an author - either works!) I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner one week from today, on Wednesday July 14th.
So: who are your literary heroines? :)
ETA: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much to everyone who participated!