Today I’m on the blog tour for Fierce, Fearless and Free, by Lari Don. Many thanks to Bloomsbury and Faye Rogers for the gifted copy to review!
A brilliant, inclusive collection of traditional tales from around the world featuring amazing women and girls. Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince who – no, that’s not right! Once upon a time, there were strong, fierce women who plotted, schemed, took action, showed kindness, used magic and trickery, and made their own destiny. From the long-haired Petrosinella who escaped the tower and broke the spell that the ogress had cast over her and Nana Miriam who beat a hippo using politeness and magic, to Kate Crackernuts who tried to save her stepsister from her mother’s curse, these are stories of girls doing it for themselves! With stories drawn from all over the world, including China, Scotland, Armenia, Italy and Nigeria, Lari Don presents heroine stories that don’t leave girls sitting around waiting to be saved by the handsome prince.
When I was asked if I wanted to be part of the blog tour for Fierce, Fearless and Free, I jumped at the chance. I love books that purposely centre women in stories as more than just a love interest, and Lari Don did that really well in this book. It’s aimed at a slightly younger age group than I would normally read, but I still enjoyed it and I think kids of about 7-10 would also really enjoy it. I really loved the choice of stories too – they come from all over the world and therefore there’s a good chance that you won’t have come across most of them before.
The best thing about the stories in Fierce, Fearless and Free is that every single one of them features a girl saving herself, or her family, or her friends. These are girls who see a problem and find a solution, whether that’s building a wall of sand or wrestling a mountain. Some of our heroines have to fight to be seen or valued by others, but they all know their own worth, and I can’t think of a better lesson for children, both male and female.
All the stories were easy to read and I got the impression that Don really knows her audience. The book is engaging and fun and would be a wonderful addition to any bookshelf!
Thanks again to Bloomsbury and Faye Rogers for allowing me to be part of this tour. Don’t forget to check out the other bloggers taking part, and check out my twitter for a chance to win your ow copy of Fierce, Fearless and Free!
4/5
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