Rejected Princesses
Summary:
Blending the iconoclastic feminism of “The Notorious RBG” and the confident irreverence of “Go the F**ck to Sleep”, a brazen and empowering illustrated collection that celebrates inspirational badass women throughout history, based on the popular Tumblr blog.
Well-behaved women seldom make history. Good thing these women are far from well behaved…
Illustrated in a contemporary animation style, “Rejected Princesses” turns the ubiquitous "pretty pink princess" stereotype portrayed in movies, and on endless toys, books, and tutus on its head, paying homage instead to an awesome collection of strong, fierce, and yes, sometimes weird, women: warrior queens, soldiers, villains, spies, revolutionaries, and more who refused to behave and meekly accept their place.
An entertaining mix of biography, imagery, and humor written in a fresh, young, and riotous voice, this thoroughly researched exploration salutes these awesome women drawn from both historical and fantastical realms, including real life, literature, mythology, and folklore. Each profile features an eye-catching image of both heroic and villainous women in command from across history and around the world, from a princess-cum-pirate in fifth century Denmark, to a rebel preacher in 1630s Boston, to a bloodthirsty Hungarian countess, and a former prostitute who commanded a fleet of more than 70,000 men on China’s seas. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This book is fantastic in every way, shape and form. Porath manages to imbue history with humor and relevant examples of heroines throughout history that rarely get discussed. I was introduced to the book through the “Stuff You Missed in History Class” podcast and I am so glad I picked up the book. Porath goes out of his way to try to portray diverse historical figures from all around the world with thoughtful research. The stories are bite size (perfect before bed!) and it’s an easy book to pick up and put down.
If I had kids, I would love to read this to them before bed (although maybe skipping over some of the grisly parts). Porath does a very good job indicating the rating of the stories and letting readers known if there may be sensitive content. I’d highly recommend this book for anyone interested in history!
Warning: Contains violence and sexual content, but there are ratings on each page.
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? Anyone looking for some badass non-traditional heroines with some lesser-known history mixed in.