The Heroines is the debut novel by Eileen Favorite. Released in December 2007 by Scribner, this historical fiction tells the story of Penny Entwhistle the summer after she turned 13. Penny is used to seeing Heroines suddenly appear at the bed and breakfast she lives in with her mother, but what happens when a Hero arrives?
CW/TW: drug use, mental health
Synopsis from Goodreads
In this enchanting debut novel, Penny and her mother encounter great women from classic works of literature who make the Homestead their destination of choice just as the plots of their tumultuous, unforgettable stories begin to unravel. They appear at all hours of the day and in all manners of distress. A lovesick Madame Bovary languishes in their hammock after Rodolphe has abandoned her, and Scarlett O’Hara’s emotions are not easily tempered by tea and eiderdowns. These visitors long for comfort, consolation, and sometimes for more attention than the adolescent Penny wants her mother to give.
Knowing that to interfere with their stories would cause mayhem in literature, Anne-Marie does her best to make each Heroine feel at home, with a roof over her head and a shoulder to cry on. But when Penny begins to feel overshadowed by her mother’s indulgence of each and every Heroine, havoc ensues, and the thirteen-year-old embarks on her own memorable tale.
Positives
- An interesting concept for a story.
- Short, easy read.
- Many characters that readers will be familiar with.
- A book about book lovers.
Negatives
- One section that tells of Anne-Marie’s experiences with one heroine that is a bit confusing when you first start to read it.
My Opinions
Penny is a typical 13-year-old who struggles to connect with her mom when she needs her the most. Anne-Marie tries to help the heroines when they appear by listening to them and making them comfortable during their stay. One such heroine makes Penny feel less important and takes more of Anne-Marie’s focus. The sudden appearance of a hero, a rare occurrence, leads to Penny becoming a heroine in her own right.
This year, I set myself a challenge to read more books I owned. Why? Because I’ve ignored them in favor of the shiny new books being released. While I have found many new releases that I’ve enjoyed, several have left me wanting more. The Heroines was added to my TBR on a whim when I found it at the bookstore a few years ago. It’s a book about book lovers and contains characters that many readers know.
Many have passed over The Heroines, as there are just over 1,000 ratings on Goodreads and 300 reviews. With so few ratings, the average is 2.77 out of 5 stars. I feel more people would enjoy reading this book if they gave it a try and were not turned off by the star rating.
Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.