Strong women are in the spotlight in this collection of tales from storyteller Praline Gay-Para.

In these stories, women disguise themselves as men, defy princes, advise monarches, and fight for their own freedom. These seven feminist folktales from Iran, Italy, and Albania feature women who will surprise you and bowl you over with their willpower, love, determination, and humor. As Gay-Para reminds us, "Contrary to what people often claim, young women in fairy tales aren't just waiting around for a prince to come and save them by whisking them off to a wedding. When it comes to becoming women, they take their fates into their own hands."