A few days ago, a local newspaper interviewed me (and several other writers) about "enduring heroines," meaning those heroines from novels who stay with us for a long, long time (you can read the story here ; it came out in today's paper; don't ask me where they got that awful pic of me). The ones we remember long after we close the book, because they have impacted us in some way or another. The second half of the question was why, and what lesson these classic heroines can impart to today's readers and young women.

My answer was Jane Eyre, though I could have picked so many, because I read voraciously when I was younger. I think all those heroines shaped me a little, in one way or another. Nancy Drew for her intrepid, plucky, "can go anywhere the boys can go and be smarter and better than them" spirit, Scarlett O'Hara for her strength, resourcefulness (even if I didn't always agree with all her choices), and her belief that no matter how bad things were today, tomorrow would be better. Hester from The Scarlet Letter for refusing to cowtow to her circumstances, for being strong in the face of incredible societal pressure, and for refusing to be labeled, even when she had to wear the brand of an adulteress.

I chose Jane Eyre because I think she's one of those quiet heroines, one of the ones you least expect to jump out at you. She's quiet, reserved, almost shy in a way. Jane Eyre is a classic Beauty and the Beast story, but this particular Beauty is not exactly cover model worthy, nor is she the singing, plucky Belle of the Disney version. Jane is an understated, reserved but strong woman who says what she means, and had a way of slicing to the core of a person with one sentence or two. She can see past the gruff exterior of Mr. Rochester to the wounded man he is inside, and rather than baby that, she shows him she expects more out of him--expects him to step up and become the man he should be. She's strong, principled and unforgettable.

I've reread Jane Eyre several times, and seen the movie versions more times than I can count. Every time, I see something new in the book or movie that surprises me, a turn of phrase that stands out because of its brilliance in saying so much in just a few words.

So my question to you today is the same one they asked me--what classic heroine is your favorite? Why does she stay with you, and what lessons does she teach?

Shirley