In young adult books: Harper from A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Born with cerebral palsy she fought all her life to work around her handicap. Courageous, determined, fierce she refused to let it cripple her life and determine who she was! I loved that Brigid Kemmerer chose a “flawed” heroine, one born with bad cards yet who managed through sheer determination to raise above her handicap and accomplish extraordinary things.
Harper was not only brave but also extremely generous and wore her heart on her sleeve.
Life had been hard on more than one way on her and she learned not to trust easily and to call it rubbish when it was.
She was the least classic fairy tale princess from all the “chosen” girls yet she could not have been better suited for the role!

When she meets commander Gray she fights! He may be a seasoned warrior and her an untrained handicapped girl she will be fierce and resourceful!

Harper bloomed in this story. All her life she’s been seen as fragile and in need of being protected by her big brother Jack. Here she became so much more as she took the lead and acted to protect other’s lives. She learnt to be in charge and that she was strong and resourceful. You just have to admire a girl who does not hesitate to fight with soldiers to protect a poor family while she’s never wielded a sword in her life and has difficulties just to walk sometimes due to her handicap!

In adult books: Ella from The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros

Ella is a single mom of young twins all while managing a resort and making it great for tourists with big projects. She was really working all the time and taking care of the twins. If this was not enough she had to go through was the most awful things that could happen. One of her kids got cancer. And the bad type or cancer! Just when she had cut on her health insurance. The driving to a specialized hospital far from home became her new normal. Trying to find money to fund her kid’s very expensive treatment was her constant focus. She went through it for months! And no woman or man should be alone to face that ordeal. Yet Ella did and she was so strong!
Anyone would have crumpled.
But not her.

Maybe I am biased because I am a mom but I do think that moms are your every day superheroes. Juggling the kids, work, everyone’s hobbies, grocery shopping, house cleaning, doctors appointments, homework, everything!

When you add to the mix such illness and the fact that Ella was alone to juggle everything I think she is uber strong!

Now do tell me: which of these two ladies would you choose as this month’s strong female character? And would you have other heroines to suggest?

Thanks for reading and sorry Katie and Adrienne for posting this last minute!!!

Sophie