Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance: The Forgotten Founding Mothers of the Fairy Tale and the Stories That They Spun
Jane Harrington
Aug 2025 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Hope Newhouse
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4 reviews
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8 hr 28 min
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Long before The Brothers Grimm, there was a sisterhood of writers who defied the patriarchy and launched a literary craze with their feminist fairy tales—these are their stories.
In 17th century Paris, a group of women who called themselves conteuses (female storytellers) came together to weave the very first fairy tales. One of them, Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy, coined the term ‘fairy tale,’ and some of these stories contain many familiar elements that appear in tales like Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, these women and their tales have mostly been forgotten to history.
Women of the Fairytale Resistance uncovers seven of these writer’s biographies—which are just as compelling as their fairy tales—and retells 12 of their original stories. The women were mostly young noblewomen who were forced into undesirable marriages and did not have the freedom to give their opinions, travel, or choose who they wanted to love. They used their stories as a way of subtly complaining about their husbands and critiquing the oppressive reign of King Louis XIV. The female-empowering, gender-bending tales combine themes like romance, fantasy, escapism, and their protagonists control of their own destiny—something the writers deeply desired in their own lives.
This unique and entertaining book will have you rethink everything you know about traditional fairy tales.
In 17th century Paris, a group of women who called themselves conteuses (female storytellers) came together to weave the very first fairy tales. One of them, Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy, coined the term ‘fairy tale,’ and some of these stories contain many familiar elements that appear in tales like Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, these women and their tales have mostly been forgotten to history.
Women of the Fairytale Resistance uncovers seven of these writer’s biographies—which are just as compelling as their fairy tales—and retells 12 of their original stories. The women were mostly young noblewomen who were forced into undesirable marriages and did not have the freedom to give their opinions, travel, or choose who they wanted to love. They used their stories as a way of subtly complaining about their husbands and critiquing the oppressive reign of King Louis XIV. The female-empowering, gender-bending tales combine themes like romance, fantasy, escapism, and their protagonists control of their own destiny—something the writers deeply desired in their own lives.
This unique and entertaining book will have you rethink everything you know about traditional fairy tales.
Long before The Brothers Grimm, there was a sisterhood of writers who defied the patriarchy and launched a literary craze with their feminist fairy tales—these are their stories.
In 17th century Paris, a group of women who called themselves conteuses (female storytellers) came together to weave ...
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Ratings and reviews
4 reviews
Aaron Lazaro
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February 23, 2026
Containing thirteen of the stories by the French women who invented fairy tales, Jane Harrington's Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance is about the power that comes from storytelling and how fighting for your human rights is the key to love and happy endings. What I love about this unabridged production is how the narrator introduces readers the Salon Sisters and brings to life the characters without mispronouncing a single French word or name.
Kurimaw Kang
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August 28, 2025
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About the author
Jane Harrington teaches wordcraft and fairy tales at W&L University and in the graduate program at Hollins University. Her research and writing passions include the 17th-century salon women of this book, Irish folklore and history (with a focus on the Wilde family), and the ecology and culture of the Appalachian region that she calls home. Jane’s short fiction and creative nonfiction have been published in journals and anthologies, and her indie novel In Circling Flight was the winner of the Brighthorse Prize and longlisted for the Crook’s Corner Book Prize. Jane lives in Rockbridge County, Virginia, with her inspiring partner and a pair of charming mini-donkeys.
Khoa Le has illustrated picture books published in a number of different countries. She is also an author, a graphic designer, and a painter. Khoa has a passion for travel, an eagerness to learn about different cultures, and a desire to discover the beauty of the world. She lives in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, with her cats.
Khoa Le has illustrated picture books published in a number of different countries. She is also an author, a graphic designer, and a painter. Khoa has a passion for travel, an eagerness to learn about different cultures, and a desire to discover the beauty of the world. She lives in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, with her cats.
Jane Harrington teaches wordcraft and fairy tales at W&L University and in the graduate program at Hollins University. Her research and writing passions include the 17th-century salon women of this book, Irish folklore and history (with a focus on the Wilde family), and the ecology and culture of...
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