Maid of the North

by Ethel Johnston Phelps

Book Overview

The Maid of the North weaves together tales about a woman's right to freedom of will and choice. In this collection of mostly nineteenth-century folk and fairy tales, Ethel Johnston Phelps's heroines successfully portray women as being spirited, courageous and smart. This type of heroine is not easily found in most collections; in most traditional folk and fairy tales we encounter women are portrayed as being good, obedient, submissive, and, of course,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805006796
• ISBN13: 9780805006797
• Release Date: September 1982
• Publisher: Holt McDougal
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.9" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great stories, not overtly PC like PC Bedtime Stories

I do like PC Bedtime Stories but that book is clearly directed at adults and is frankly, not in favor of PC. This book is great because it compiles traditional stories from different cultures and shows that girls don't have to change for others, don't have to wait for a man to do something, can still be feminine and want love and respect and neither is exclusive to the other.

Its not just for young girls!

I just love this book. And I was lucky enough to get a first edition in good shape. I haven't read folk-tales since I was a kid, and only just started because I needed to find one for a graduate class I am taking. These bite-size stories are perfect for bedtime reading because I can read a whole story and call it quits. No cliffhangers. And not only are the stories beautifully written, but they all portray the woman as being valuable for reasons other than beauty. Although this book is subtitled "feminist folk tales from around the world," I do not believe the book is just for young girls. Boys too should hear stories of powerful, smart women. In fact, they would probably be more interested in these stories than Cinderella and sleeping beauty.

What a treasure!

I think this is out of print and it's such a shame, because it's a fabulous book. Even for folk tale lovers who don't identify as feminist, these tales are sure to delight. I am really charmed by the creative tales which show many strong, skillful, smart, and powerful women and girl characters as the protagonists of the stories. Another bonus is the author's effort to find tales representing many different cultures of the world.I would recommend this to be read to and by children who love folk tales, as well as adults who like this genre. What a wonderful feeling to believe a girl can be the star of her own show, the director of her own destiny!

Really Great

I got this book as a little girl, along with another collection "Tatterhood", written and edited by the same people (I believe). This one stuck in my mind as being the most entertaining, although both were good.The unique, although sparse, illustrations are very interesting and wonderful, not like any other drawings in children's book. Unlike "Tatterhood", the fact that these stories were about young girls really drew me, and was quite exciting. For parents with little girls interested in legends, fantasy, and faraway places, I'd definitely recommend buying this for your children and reading it aloud.

Maid of the North: Feminist Folk Tales from Around the World

This collection of stories is wonderful. My six-year-old (advanced) daughter's favorite, Elsa and the Evil Wizard, is just one of the many folk tales in this collection. With all the elements of a good fairy tale, in addition to a strong, resourceful, and intelligent female role model, this is one story that makes girls feel good about being decisive and strong-willed. Our daughters and sons need to hear more stories like this one, to counteract the weak princess types whose only worth and happiness is too closely connected to being "saved" by the handsome prince. We also love Ethel Phelps' stories about Tatterhood. More like this, please!