The best bold heroines in alchemical adventures where the marvelous cavorts with reality

I think more than anything, I loved the way she described everything. Her language is as if her words were first sent to her heart and then to her soul before they came onto the page. The warmth and the power are overwhelming in her style. It is obvious she loved grandly Africa and its denizens, and as a reader, I couldn’t help but feel the same.  

I love heroines in exotic places and situations, especially if it is much of their own makings or seemingly destiny. This book is a memoir of a tomboy girl in East Africa, so even though it is all true, it feels epic.  

I could really relate to Beryl as a girl with her animals. (Growing up, I loved and collected animals from nature, too.)  Beryl grew up with a zebra for a pet, horses for friends, and, of course, the most loyal dog.  

I loved her adventures…She snuck out at dawn to the neighboring village, and as a young girl, she hunted lions with the boys. This was unheard of!

One more thing about her writing. When Ernest Hemingway read Markham's book, he wrote his editor, Maxwell Perkins: "She has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer . . . [She] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers . . . It is really a bloody wonderful book."

Truly, I agree!!!

I so loved and continue to love this book because I love heroines who embody wisdom and pass it on to others. Isn’t this really the whole point of life? Any chunk of learning needs to be shared, especially by women for women who come after them.

As far as heroines are concerned, there are so many to choose from in this book. It begins with Lily, a girl, who decides to run away to find out about her mother; she has reason to leave her violent home with an abusive father. But then Lily has the opportunity to safeguard Rosaleen, her ‘stand-in’ black mother, who has made the serious mistake of standing up to legendary racist bullies. Lily is white but understands Rosaleen's peril in terms of danger. Lily is hardly fierce. This is when real courage becomes poignant…taking action in spite of immense fear. 

I feel that every person has a destiny; everything conspires to get Lily to where she must be.  In the hands of an excellent writer, Kidd, the author, has seemingly woven all of the intricacies to make this possible.  As a reader, I dislike when the bones of the story are too evident. I knew I was in good hands with this book.

Lily is guided to not only where she needs to find out about her mother but also where she needs to be, where her spirit is nurtured and cared for by other women. For me, this caring was so strong and wise. It often brought tears to my eyes with its goodness. And I love to be deeply affected by a good book.

Last but not least, I LOVE bees. They obviously need to be saved, but knowing this and doing something about it is different. Kidd has written so much information about bees, certainly not clinical, but charming, and I was fascinated by all the new things I learned...more than that, I came to love these valiant, hard-working insects even more.

From the first words, I felt myself to be in the company of an excellent storyteller. I also love great styles, and Urrea’s was bursting. Though I was unfamiliar with the author, his style and voice are authentic and rich. The characters are oddball and interesting without being forced. Also, for me, there is something about the Mexican culture that is wild. I am a wild child, and thus, I am drawn to the unexpected.

The heroine, Teresita, happens to be an ancestor of the author, and this tale is based on a true story, impeccably researched, so I thought Urrea had lived during this time, but impossible since it was 1870. Healers often talk about the task of the dead ancestors to protect the living; for the living, it is important that the dead stay close to us.  I believe this since I had a personal experience with my father… 

She is taught by a witch the healing powers of plants. I love witches, especially those who utilize their knowledge to heal those in pain. Teresita has a great gift; thousands of pilgrims make the journey to be healed by her. I love stories of destiny guided by the miraculous since this is how I think it all works, that each moment of our lives is sacred.  

I love big adventures with guides into mysteries of the sacred, and I love books that remind me of miraculous occurrences.

I am not a fan of fantasy, but this is magical realism at its best. Not too much, not too little, just enough to remind everyone that the spirits are still working on behalf of true love and goodness and that justice prevails despite all obstacles…like a fairy tale with complications. Just my cup of tea. 

How realistic is it that food transmits any emotions the cook may be feeling while making the food? This idea captivated me immediately; it was something I had never thought about. And yet, growing up in my family, women always made the food. So again, a very female tale.

In the beginning, Tita, the heroine, is passionate and in love, but she succumbs to tradition and rejects true love and passion to submit to tradition, which dictates she takes care of her mother. In time, Tita learns to disobey the injustice of that tradition and her mother's selfish cruelty. In this case, magic manifests in cooking, in the kitchen, and the domain of women. Lovely!

Lessons are learned, and Tita begins to use the magic of her cooking as a means of enlightenment to cope with her mother gradually.

This is a must-read for me to understand the archetypes inherent to women. I have not only read it but also reread it and studied it with other women. 

I love anything wild, and so does Dr. Estés. She believes that within every woman, there lives a powerful force filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. The wild is instinctual and endangered. Civilization demands women become rigid in roles contrary to the life-giving messages of our own souls. I have always believed this, and this book reinforces my beliefs.

Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés uses mythology, fairy tales, folk tales, and stories to assist the reconnection to our wild nature. Her interpretations are so rich, just reading the forward from time to time makes me weep with recognition of truth.

This has very strong and life-giving implications for me as a writer, but it truly is an astounding book for all women.