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The Celebration of the Female

There are two very interesting discussions about romance heroines on my two favorite blogs today. On Karen Scott’s:

One thing I’ve noticed is that whenever there’s a question of distance between the hero and heroine, it’s always the gal who has to give up her apartment, and her job. What annoys me is that it usually turns out that the heroine wasn’t happy being an accountant/lawyer/doctor in the first place, and was just waiting for the right man to come along to rescue her from the drudgery of putting bad guys in jail, being able to afford Manolo Blahniks and healing the sick.

And Dear Author’s:

[Kresley] Cole takes very traditional tropes [i.e., the damsel in distress] and reverses them completely. For example, Cole’s books are female-centric with the female myths playing larger roles. Instead of the brotherhood or the male cadre of warriors, you ave a group of sword wielding, smart mouthed, head chopping Valkryries that like sparkly things, nail polish and video games or devious witches that are so beautiful they have to spell themselves to protect others from their personal glory.

Me, I prefer heroines who are smart, experienced, and has been leading a pretty good life even before she meets the hero. Which is why I really enjoy the female heroines of the novels written by P.C. Cast. To me, they are truly about the celebration of all the great things about being a female— sisterhood, being able to sit around with your friends and bare your soul without fearing you will be judged or castigated, and having a support system made up of mothers, sisters, and friends, whether they’re teachers from Oklahoma or actual goddesses from Mount Olympus.

Which brings me to my favorite heroine of all time: Shannon from Goddess by Mistake (re-released by Harlequin’s Luna line as Divine by Mistake). Shannon is a school-teacher in Oklahoma who has a family she loves, a job she grudgingly enjoys, and a (female) best friend she can count on. While indulging her hobby of antiquing, she is sucked into another universe where she is the Chosen of the Goddess Epona, the fiancee of an actual centaur, and the leader of the people living in a place called Partholon (who, btw, are initially distrusting of her because her mirror-image was an evil— okay, not evil, just blinded by power and totally unsuitable for the duties that came with being a Goddess Incarnate— witch named Rhiannon). I mean, we’re talking MAJOR life changes here, people! SHE IS ENGAGED TO A CREATURE THAT IS HALF-HORSE! But Shannon swoops in and takes care of everything like a champ. She gives feminist lessons to her simpering handmaiden, comes up with a plan to help save Partholon from these evil things called the Formorians, AND makes the gruff, yummy centaur fall in love with her. She doesn’t whine, she doesn’t cry— and though she has a few moments of self-doubt (who doesn’t), she shakes it all off and kicks ass. That’s my kind of heroine! And this is what I originally said about her:

[…] Shannon is a hilarious storyteller. She’s not preachy or boring, nor does she indulge in the always pathetic does-he-love-me-oh-my-gosh-I-don’t-deserve- him bullshit. I think it’s because Shannon is older than most of the female characters I read about (I was reading a whole bunch of Regencies), but I’ve also read about female characters who are supposed to be in their forties, but act like they’re twelve. Shannon complains about her saggy boobs, lack of toilet paper, and a good moisturizer, but she doesn’t get all weird and neurotic about it. In fact, her character kind of reminded me of Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun. She is graceful, secure in her own feminine power, and most importantly, confident in her own intelligence and abilities.

And in PC Cast’s latest book, Warrior Rising, her very modern heroine falls in love with Achilles (yes, the very doomed Achilles of the Trojan War) and has to find a way to save him! But the most interesting aspect of this novel is the portrayal of the Goddesses Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. For once, these women are NOT portrayed as bitches who are petty enough to cause the Trojan war (mythology has it that the Trojan war was sparked by a beauty competition between the three. The judge, Paris, picked Aphrodite as the prettiest— she had bribed him with Helen, the prettiest mortal ever). In fact, the three of them actually get together and plot to END the war. It was refreshing to read The Iliad as a light-hearted romance rather than the misogynistic, doom-gloom tragedy it really was. Good on ye, Ms. Cast!

Okay, enough gushing on my part, it’s just getting embarrassing now. Topic: Who is your favorite romance heroine and why? What are the elements that sets this heroine apart from the others out there? Talk amongst yourselves!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 at 9:48 am and is filed under Et Cetera. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

16 Responses to “The Celebration of the Female”

  1. Kaitlin
    Posted: Apr 22nd, 2008 at 10:29 am
    1

    Myfavorite heroine of all time…boy, this is a toughie, but I’ll do my best! :)

    I’d have to say one of them for sure is Eve Dallas. Tough, kick-ass, but also vulnerable. I like that she comes across as so real. She’s not afraid to kick ass first and take names later, but she also has the same issues most women do.

    I also like Sara from Dreaming of You. She’s not gorgeous or simpering. She’s smart, self sufficient and loves Derek with everything in her, without givng up her own identity in the meantime. :)

  2. P.C. Cast
    Posted: Apr 22nd, 2008 at 10:47 am
    2

    Awww! What lovely things to say about my heroines! I love me some Shannon, too (ClanFintan is my favorite of all my heroes). One of the main reasons I write is because I want to celebrate the strength, intelligence, and beauty of today’s women. I get really pissed when my heroines are called Mary Sue. It’s NOT Mary Sue to have girlfriends! It’s not Mary Sue for women to like and support each other. If a woman doesn’t have a pack of girlfriends I always wonder what’s up with her and feel sorry that she’s missing the friendship of women.

    An ex-student of mine text messaged me yesterday. All he said was, “Just saw a quote that made me think of you. ‘There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other.’”

    My favorite heroine (other than my own)…that’s hard! The first one who came to mind was Claire from the OUTLANDER books. She’s smart and funny and capable. She can seriously kick some ass, Jamie’s included. And I do enjoy Kresley Cole’s heroines a lot, too.

  3. Isabelle Santiago
    Posted: Apr 22nd, 2008 at 11:59 am
    3

    I’d have to agree about Ms. Cast’s heroines. They’re so real. The type of women I’d meet and befriend. They’re comfortable in their bodies, are living their lives as best they can. I really like that about them.

    One heroine I’ve grown to love (much to my surprise) is Mac, or Mackayla Lane, from Karen Marie Moning’s Fever Series. I didn’t expected to like her because she was a snotty, spoiled, immature heroine to start off with. But I think it’s a true testament to Ms. Moning’s writing that she has managed to believably make her grow in front of our eyes. She’s made her strong, sexy, determined. She’s turned her from a girl into a woman. I really love to see that transformation. It makes me appreciate the journey that much more.

  4. Jill Sorenson
    Posted: Apr 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
    4

    Let me see if I can throw us out of sync, Bam.

    One of my favorite heroines is Henrietta from Catherine Coulter’s Lord Harry cuz she duels and disguises herself like a man and is just so damned fiesty. The androgynous female thing REALLY does it for me. Especially when the hero is all confused about being attracted to a man and stuff.

    I also like Hastings of Trent from Rosehaven.

    P.S. Rachel and Gabe in the rain…totally.

  5. Shannon C.
    Posted: Apr 22nd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
    5

    I just have to say that Shannon is a great name for a heroine. :P No, I haven’t read the book yet, but trust me, I will.

    Favorite heroines? That’s difficult. My favorite female characters of all time would be Charles de Lint’s Jilly Coppercorn, Madeleine L’Engle’s Meg Murry, and Louisa May Alcott’s Jo March. I also love me some Eve Dallas, and I can’t talk about female characters without mentioning Meljean Brook’s Lilith and Savi, who are wonderful, smart, sexy, kick-ass chicks.

    Now back to the Kresley Cole book I’ve started because of the discussions today!

  6. sula
    Posted: Apr 22nd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
    6

    Ha! I was about to weigh in and say that clearly my fav heroine is Claire from the Outlander books and who is this PC Cast author and where can I find her books? And lookee there, PC Cast mentions Claire from Outlander. Definitely, I will be checking this out. heh.

    Other heroines…you gotta love Jess from Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels. And Sara from Dreaming of You. Bella from Ward’s Lover Awakened was really persistent in dragging Zsadist back from the edge. hmm. Will have to think of others…

    Y’know despite all of the awful purple prose and stuff, I quite liked Ayla from the Earth’s Children series. Is there anything that girl CAN’T do?

  7. lisabea
    Posted: Apr 22nd, 2008 at 6:52 pm
    7

    Savitri Murray. Hands down. Period. Where’s Meljean? And Charlie…damn that woman writes the bestest heroines.They are flawed and resourceful and ultimately have such strength of character. Bees. Knees.

  8. PC Cast
    Posted: Apr 22nd, 2008 at 8:08 pm
    8

    Sula, we must be soul mate readers. I adore Ayla! You can check me out at www.pccast.net and/or www.houseofnightseries.com. And lovely BAM has reviewed several of my books, so they’re in the archives.

    I know these aren’t traditionally thought of as romances, but I adore Jane from Tanith Lee’s SILVER METAL LOVER and Janie (weird they have practically the same name) from Zora Neale Hurston’s masterpiece THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD. Both grow and change and learn to be true to themselves, albeit in very different ways, times, and genres.

  9. katiebabs
    Posted: Apr 23rd, 2008 at 4:44 am
    9

    I love Linnea Sinclair’s heroines because they are no whimpering women. They can handle a tough situation to the best of their ability and can kick some major ass along the way. Ann Aguirre has a great heroine Jax from Grimspace (Bam you of course no this!) :D

    I second Lisa’s with Meljean’s heroines. Very different women who are in tough situations and are able to handle them the best way they can.

    Lisa Kleypas has great heroines and after reading Sugar Daddy and Blue Eyed Devil, I have a new found respect for her writing.

    Finally no one can compete with Eve Dallas from the In Death series.

  10. shuzluva
    Posted: Apr 23rd, 2008 at 6:01 am
    10

    Hmmm….I’ve had to think on this really hard, and have come up with the following:

    Lata Mehra from Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy, one of my favorite novels of all time. Lata is independent minded, conflicted and simply amazing.

    Um, this one is weird because she’s a real person and the book is the true story of three generations of women, but Jung Chang, her mother and grandmother have strength of character that is incredible, and if you’re so inclined, pick up Wild Swans. The book is riveting.

    Sauscony Valdoria from Catherine Asaro’s Primary Inversion (and others in the Skolian Empire series) is one kickass chick. I adore her.

    Sascha Duncan and Brenna Kincaid from Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series. To me, Sascha is the glue that holds the Psy/Changeling families together, and Brenna is a woman that truly overcame horrendous acts, adversity and didn’t just find love, but forced Judd to recognize it.

    I’m sure I can come up with more, but I’ll stop here.

  11. Kimberly B.
    Posted: Apr 23rd, 2008 at 6:40 am
    11

    Like Shannon C. said, Jilly Coppercorn from Charles de Lint’s Newford series is a favorite character of mine; she’s a survivor who has been to Hell and back (multiple times, I’d say) yet manages to be a positive person who sees the magic in every day life.
    Lately I’ve been really getting into heroines who aren’t just strong, but also resourceful: the kind of person who can not only defend herself, but who could be dropped off in the middle of nowhere with a tarp and a Swiss army knife and be fine. An example of this type of heroine is Yelena Zaltana from Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study, Magic Study,and Fire Study; she’s a survivor who thrives under pressure that would break most of us, and retains her sense of humor as well.

  12. Ciara
    Posted: Apr 23rd, 2008 at 11:11 am
    12

    One of my favorite heroines of all time is Emily from Teresa Medeiros’ ONCE AN ANGEL. She is feisty and fiery, brave and independent, but human. I love the part at the end where she screams something like “The day Emily Claire Scarborough needs anyone is the day there’ll be ice skating in hell!”

    I also adore Annique from Joanna Bourne’s THE SPYMASTER’S LADY. Talk about a kick-ass heroine!

    In general I don’t connect with heroines who have perfect, happy lives at the beginning of the story. There isn’t a compelling reason to take the heroes journey if everything is hunky-dory. I have a soft spot for tortured heroines who prevail despite the crappy hand they’ve drawn and the Nice Guys who love them. There is a greater transformative character ark. More conflict = more captivating to read.

  13. Lorelie
    Posted: Apr 23rd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
    13

    My votes would include a lot of those who’ve already been mentioned: Savi from Meljean Brook. Jax from Ann Aguirre (Hey Ann! lol). Brianna from Nalini Singh.

    Claire from Jude Deveraux’s The Duchess has stuck with me a very long time. She seemed positively subversive at the time. She wasn’t stomp your foot and shake your hair feisty and in fact was prepared to marry a man who made her family happy — and found a way to like him, too. At the same time, she was the backbone of her family (not the doormat) and had her own passions.

    Fascinating in a stare-at-the-creepy way (and non-romance) is Margret Atwood’s Handmaiden. The way she subsumes her sense of self in order to survive. . . scary.

  14. Ann Aguirre
    Posted: Apr 24th, 2008 at 5:48 am
    14

    I’m so glad y’all like Jax!

    My favorite heroines? Again, I can’t pick one. I’ll name five.

    Anne from All Through the Night (Connie Brockway)
    Jessica from Lord of Scoundrels (Loretta Chase)
    Brenna from Caressed by Ice (Nalini Singh)
    Reece from Angels Fall (Nora Roberts)
    Vivi from The Protector (Gennita Low)

  15. sula
    Posted: Apr 24th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
    15

    ack, I have been out and away in a land with no internet and missed the rest of the comments. heh. PC Cast, I shall definitely be checking out your site and your work. Any friend of Ayla and Claire… ;)

  16. heather (errantdreams)
    Posted: Apr 28th, 2008 at 6:53 am
    16

    I like to experience a variety of heroine-types in my reading. I don’t mind even the woman who gives up what she is for her man, IF it’s an occasional thing, made believable, and the character is otherwise strong and interesting. Just because, sure, there are a few women like that.

    That said, absolutely I prefer stronger women who know their own minds, have their own skills, and do what they want when they want. I love women who kick ass, who have their flaws and aren’t afraid of them. Take Elizabeth Vaughan’s Dagger-Star for example. Her main female lead is a bawdy, shameless mercenary who gradually develops a thing for a peace-loving farmer. I loved that. The interactions between them were fresh, funny, and fiery. I love Bettie Sharpe’s twisted, obsessive heroines, and the heroine in the one book I’ve read by Shiloh Walker definitely had her own strengths and kick-ass-ness. That’s part of what has made those authors’ books my favorites.

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