The Hunter Maiden

Book excerpt: The fourth volume in this beautifully illustrated anthology features traditional tales of heroic women from Russia to South Africa and beyond. Long before Suzanne Collins created Katniss Everdeen and Octavia Butler wrote Parable of the Sower, there were many traditional folktales full of adventure, intrigue, and intrepid female characters. Feminist Folktales from Around the World collects these forgotten classics and presents them with original artwork by designer and illustrator Suki Boynton. Volume four in the series, The Hunter Maiden features an introduction by Renee Watson, the New York Times bestselling author of Piecing Me Together. In these eleven adventures, a diverse cast of female protagonists lend their daring and determination to everything from battling evil wizards in Russia to outsmarting tricky demons in South Africa. In the title story, a young member of the Zuni Native American tribe proves her resourcefulness as she confronts cultural double standards and malicious winter spirits.