Today Tiffany has asked me to share with you the heroines who have inspired with me during my lifetime as an avid reader. Let's jump right in!
Fanny Price, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
A surprising choice perhaps, as she is so timid and shy. But, this was the first Jane Austen novel I ever read, and so Fanny opened the doors on Austen's world for me, and I later went on to read all of her novels. I read Mansfield Park when I was 15, and I was incredibly shy myself; so Fanny's journey rang true for me. She gave me confidence to believe that I could be a leading lady too.
Madeleine, Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Madeleine is so vivid that she jumps off the page. She is feisty, she is fashionable, she is real. She is also a devoted mother, her heart breaking while her daughter moves in with the father who abandoned her as a baby. This trauma is so well written; Madeleine's grief is palpable, and this struggle is something that parents may face. Madeleine is graceful and so very human, and so very strong. She fights for what she believes in, and we all need a bit of Madeleine within us!
Gaia Moore, Fearless series by Francine Pascal
When I was at school, I loved this series. I would take book after book out of the town library, until the staff knew what books I was returning before I reached the counter! I was fascinated by Gaia, a girl who could not feel fear. A useful attribute when people are constantly out to kill her! Gaia doesn't care what any one thinks of her, and is oblivious to her own beauty. She may not have great social skills, but she does have a deep strength; and that really inspired me as a shy teenager.
Princess Elizabeth of York, The White Princess by Philippa Gregory
As an amateur historian I could not fail to include a historical figure in this list! I don't feel that Elizabeth gets enough credit from the history books, and this novel helps to correct that. Elizabeth was, after all, the mother of the Tudor dynasty; wife to Henry VII and mother to Henry VIII. She married the man who killed her uncle (rumoured to be her lover) in battle, what must that have been like? Did she really grow to love the man who was originally her greatest enemy? This book provides an interpretation of these events which would shape the woman who became a kind and loving queen.
Hermione Granger, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
How could I not include Hermione? She influenced and inspired a generation of girls across the world. Intelligent, courageous and loyal, Hermione is the greatest female in Harry Potter. I did try looking for someone else from the HP books to include in this list, but to be honest, no one comes close. Hermione proves that brains and strength can take you a long way.
Which literary heroines would be on your list?
