Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Sep 21, 2017
I've been slowly making my way through this book all year and I want everyone who reads this review to know: it's not because of the book. I struggle through essays and short story collections. This isn't because they are horrible. It's because they're missing a consistent plot line. As far as short stories go? Rejected Princesses is awesome.
I want to throw a little love at Jason Porath.
Jason Porath is, in his own words, "A straight white dude from Kentucky." He's not a likely candidate to be writing books of female-driven histories. This isn't a collection of twenty women who are often overlooked in history. Rejected Princesses outlines dozens of badass women. He dissects mythologies and biased biographies of women and offers the reader a perspective sharing views from multiple sources. He writes in a witty, engaging matter. Even the women with the most vile reputations are offered with a grain of salt. Elizabeth Bathory I'm talking to you. Seriously guys, he's even got Elizabeth Bathory in here. Granted, she's at the end, with the particularly twisted stories, but she's there!
I have been promoting this book since I started it. Between the detail of the artwork to the depth at which Porath researches the woman, this is really a must read. And he's made it really user-friendly. There are trigger warning for abuse, rape, and violence at the beginning of every chapter so you can avoid the triggers. Stories are rated from G-R, just like movies, so you know which ones are suitable for children. In most of the entries, he even explains the artwork and the subtle nuances he's included.
There are so many incredible women in these pages.
While there were definitely plenty I recognized (Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Bathory, Joan of Arc), the majority of this book was made up of women I've never heard of. Like Noor Inayat Kahn. She was this incredible double-agent spy during World War II. She was Muslim, an author, and there's a bronze bust of her in London. She worked with some of the earliest wireless radios. She was executed at a concentration camp. Women like Noor are role models, the women too outlandish to be translated into a Disney film, but far too incredible to be forgotten.
For those who are excited about collections such as [b:Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women|33016249|Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women|Elena Favilli|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479609660s/33016249.jpg|53652027]... I implore you to give Rejected Princesses a try. It's inspiring. I want to write a modernized tale for each and every woman in this book.
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