Fearless girls, wise women, and beloved sisters

Kathleen Ragan

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.