We Become What We Read. Maybe.

How to Be A Heroine, Or What I Learned From Reading Too Much by Samantha Ellis just sounded like too much fun to pass up.

The author reviews the literary heroines that influenced her during different life stages. She discusses how she perceived the heroines at the time she was drawn to them, then how the 'wisdom of age" has brought new insights.

I loved reading about the books I knew well (Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre). She offers enough information about the books I had not read (Valley of the Dolls) to understand her point.

I had not expected to learn so much about the author herself. Duh. The whole point of the book was how these heroines influenced her expectations, self-image, and life choices. Sometimes for the better, and often for the worse. Catherine Earnshaw is not really a good role model after all. Nor is Sleeping Beauty--unless your life's goal is to be beautiful victim so a prince can save you and marry you!

Random House first published the book in Britain in January of this year, with the American printing coming in February, 2015.

I received a free ebook in exchange for a fair and inbiased review.

How To Be A Heroine, Or What I Learned from Reading Too Much
by Samantha Ellis
Random House
ISBN 9781101872093
$14.95 paperback