Bookstores in Buena Vista and Lexington are hosting events to celebrate the release of the latest book from Rockbridge County author Jane Harrington, “Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance: The Forgotten Founding Mothers of the Fairy Tale and the Stories That They Spun.”
Harrington will be at Leaf and Lore in Buena Vista (2077 Magnolia Ave.) on Saturday, Aug. 23, between 2 and 4 p.m., and at The Bookery in Lexington (107 W. Nelson St.) on Tuesday, Aug. 26, between 5 and 7 p.m. The latter will be part of a special celebration in honor of Marysue Forrest, longtime owner of the shop who died this year. Both events will include a reading, book sale and signing and conversation. Pop-ins are welcome.
Published by Black Dog & Leventhal, an imprint of Hachette, “Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance” has a release date of Aug. 19 in an illustrated hardcover edition, and also in ebook and audiobook formats. The book uncovers the history of the 17thcentury French women writers who coined the term “fairy tale” and used their stories of clever, rebellious heroines as acts of resistance against the strictures of Louis XIV’s court. Harrington revives these forgotten writers through fresh retellings and rich historical research.
Anne E. Duggan, professor of French at Wayne State University, says of the book that it “breathes new life into these subversive and empowering fairy tales. The biographies and social contexts are written with a whimsical touch, giving readers access to the fascinating world of the conteuses.” Library Journal, in a starred review, claims it “fills an enormous gap in the history of fairy tales [and] belongs on every shelf of literature relating to this art form.”
Harrington teaches writing and literature in the English Department at Washington and Lee University, where one of her courses focuses on the history of fairy tales. She is also the author of the 2022 novel, “In Circling Flight,” available at local bookstores as well.
For more information about the author, her books and upcoming events, visit www.janeharrington.com.
