Fearless girls, wise women, and beloved sisters : heroines in folktales from around the world

One hundred great folk tales and fairy tales from all over the world about strong, smart, brave heroines. Dismayed by the predominance of male protagonists in her daughters' books, Kathleen Ragan set out to collect the stories of our forgotten heroines. Gathered from around the world, from regions as diverse as sub-Saharan Africa and Western Europe, from North and South American Indian cultures and New World settlers, from Asia and the Middle East, these 100 folktales celebrate strong female heroines. Fearless Girls, Wise Women, and Beloved Sisters is for all women who are searching to define who they are, to redefine the world and shape their collective sensibility. It is for men who want to know more about what it means to be a woman. It is for our daughters and our sons, so that they can learn to value all kinds of courage, courage in battle and the courage of love. It is for all of us to help build a more just vision of woman. "Dismayed by the predominance of male protagonists and heroes in her daughters' books, Kathleen Ragan set out to collect the stories of our forgotten heroines: courageous mothers, clever young girls, and warrior women who save villages from monsters, rule wisely over kingdoms, outwit judges, kings, and tigers. Gathered from around the world, from regions as diverse as Sub-Saharan Africa and Western Europe, from Native American cultures of North and South America and New World settlers, from Asia and the Middle East, these 100 folktales celebrate strong heroines." --Book Jacket "This jewel of an anthology features courageous mothers, clever young girls, and warrior women, heroines that save lives and bring peace to their communities not through brute strength, although endurance is a frequent feat, but through creativity, intelligence, eloquence, wisdom, kindness, perseverance, and loyalty. Ragan's concise yet discerning commentary follows each tale, making this affirming and long-overdue collection as edifying as it is entertaining."--Booklist, quoted on back cover A collection of folklore featuring strong women, gathered from such diverse regions of the world as Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Europe, North and South America and the Middle East There was a path that ran along near the edge of a cliff above the sea, and along this path in the gloaming of a misty day, came two fairy women of the Sidh. Retells more than a hundred folktales form Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East that feature acitve heroines of all types Retells more than a hundred folktales from Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East that feature active heroines of all types Retells more than a hundred folktales form Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East that feature active heroines of all types There was path ran along near the edge of a cliff above the sea, and along this path in the gloaming of a mistry day, came two fairy women of the Sidh. Collects 100 tales from around the world, including Africa, Western Europe, Native American cultures, Asia, and the Middle East, that feature a heroine