The Woman in the Moon and Other Tales of Forgotten Heroines

I think I was eight the first time I read these stories. Over the years I read again and again, before lending the book to a friend and never seeing it again. It took me eight more years to track down a used copy, a search that encompassed two continants, countless used bookstores, and finally, a very good out of print book service. Every minute spent on that search was well worth the effort. The copy I have now sits in the place of pride on my bookshelf. I still haunt used book stores looking for copies to give to friends with daughters.This book opened so many doors to new ideas for me. It dispelled the notion that women could only be beautiful, helpless prizes for men (like Cinderella) or evil, ugly, vicious adversaries (like her stepmother). That is, after all, the stated objective of the book. But it also taught me that the stories our culture tells are not the stories every culture tells. It opened my eyes to a world full of rich and varied literary traditions.Beautifully writen, marvelously illustrated, this book belongs in the collection of every young girl -- and boy. Buy it for any child you care about -- you never know what sort of ideas it might give her, or him.

My grandmother gave me this book when I was 10 years old, and I loved the exotic stories that went way beyond the typical Cinderella fairytales I was used to. I've passed on my well-read copy to my 10-year-old little sister and, just like me, she couldn't put it down. I still occasionally reread these stories, not only because they're well-written, but because they take me to another place and time where women warriors rule, young girls can fly and married women are anything but "the wife." I recommend giving this to any young person you know and love.