Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance: The Forgotten Founding Mothers of the Fairy Tale and the Stories That They Spun

by Jane Harrington

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, actually coined the term ‘fairy tale’ and some of these stories contain many familiar (and well-loved) 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, and escapism and their protagonists control of their own destiny – something the writers deeply desired in their own lives.
 
Enchantingly designed with stunning full cover illustrations throughout, this unique and entertaining book will have you rethink everything you know about traditional fairy tales.

 

Genres: Nonfiction, Fairy Tales, History, Adult, France, Folklore, Feminism

240 pages, Hardcover

Published August 19, 2025

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm probably going to regret this one, given the terrible takes on fairy tales and their tellers I've read in a row, so full of modern gender ideology shoehorned and pushed with a giant hammer into the past, but . . . there's always the hope that never dies that there's good scholarship for once.

On the other hand, this isn't the first book that wants to tell the story of the "conteuses," who aren't exactly forgotten either (there's many books about them, so the title is rather pretentious here). And, as I've said before, to me fairy tale scholarship lives or dies on their analysis of Beauty & Beast. Which, for this case, would be how they treat and interpret Villeneuve.

Now that I've read this little collection, I can say that the publishers are missing the target audience and should repackage this for marketing it to the right age range: elementary to middle schoolers. This is by no means a book for older readers, and definitely not for knowledgeable fairy tale lovers.

It's very basic and full of sweeping generalisations as well as inaccuracies by omission or oversimplification and mix-ups. In an effort to show that Fairy Tale as a genre was created by a Frenchwoman, Madame d'Aulnoy, it doesn't draw a difference between fairy tale and folktale, it doesn't teach that "literary fairy tale" is what d'Aulnoy created, not fairy tales and definitely not folktales. All to score easy points against the Grimms and other male fairy tellers. It also presents the situation of the "conteuses" as very cherry-picked and makes connections between their tales and other tales that omit steps in-between.

And, most surprisingly of all, it omits many names to settle on just seven women, two of which, Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy and Charlotte Rose de La Force, are still famous even nowadays, so I don't see the claim of "forgotten" applies. The first one is practically the creator of the genre and term "fairy tale" and her tales are edited and re-edited plenty, I own at least 3 editions of her complete tales. And de La Force is well-known for creating Rapunzel as we know it. From the other authors mentioned here, Murat is also fairly known, and the rest . . . I'm sorry, but that they are forgotten because they are women is rather a stretch. Not every fairy teller from the 1600s French salons was talented, many were dilettantes and idle aristocrats and bourgeois with a hipster leaning, and many of those tales born from the salons are terrible, overwrought, melodramatic, and silly, so it's no surprise most were forgotten as time passed. The quality ones, like from d'Aulnoy, de La Force, Murat, Villeneuve (who isn't here, I assume because she's from a later date), are still around and are read and reread. The claim simply doesn't hold water.

I think that, if this was meant for an older audience, a study of the salons vs the court environment, and what kinds of women were there would be interesting. A more societal critique focused analysis, in sum. Not this summary for children and young audiences that is so lacking and oversimplifies everything so much it's barely above a cursory overview.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Artisan Books, Black Dog & Leventhal for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

*2.5 rounded up to 3*

I really wanted to enjoy this collection. I took a fairy tale and folklore class during my undergraduate years and it touched briefly on the more popular Grimm stories and their backgrounds and adaptations. I loved it but never needed to take a class similar to it since, but my point is that I've always been quite interested in fairy tale roots and where they really came from. I always assumed that the Grimm brothers got most of what they wrote from other writers, but it surprised me to read this and find that many fairy tales were originally conceived by women writers. However, while I enjoyed the history and the author biographies, I found the actual original stories to be repetitive even if I thought they were cool.

This book is definitely for someone younger or at least maybe reading with someone younger. It's still a fairly enjoyable read but a little too juvenile once you get passed the history which is what I wanted.

[Kathy Shimpock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance shares the history and stories of women writers who enhanced their craft in the French salons of the 1700s. These “fairy tales” were their artistic resistance to the role of women in aristocratic society. Author, Jane Harrington focuses on seven writers (Marie-Catherine D’Aulnoy, Henriette-Jolie Murat, Charlotte-Rose La Force, Marie-Jeanne L’Heritier, Catherine Berrard, Catherine Durand and Louise D’Auneul). Each section begins with a biography of the writer and is followed by a translation of two of their stories. The text is chatty, feminist and engaging. The illustrations by Vietnamese artist, Khow Le, is fluid, dreamy and magical. (Contrast this to Frank’s illustrations found in The Island of Happiness (2021) which often take a distressingly surrealistic tone.) Included is an extensive bibliography and index. Highly recommended.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was a revelation.

We know the Brothers Grimm compiled their stories from other sources. There is general consensus that Charles Perrault was also working with earlier material. Now we know whose material it was, at least much of it.

At the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century a number of French women gathered in salons to tell stories to each other. They called them contes de fees, or fairy tales. They usually featured women caught in difficult circumstances, thwarted in love but ultimately achieving their goal of romantic love.

Harrington shows pretty clearly that these tales were a way of working out the frustrations of their lives and gave them some wish fulfillment, however fictional. Some of them were well known writers, others not so much. The records are spotty on some. It's likely that one of them was the niece or grand-niece of Charles Perrault, and he may have attended some of their salons.

The book is structured to tell the short biography of each woman, so far as is known, followed by a couple of examples of the stories they wrote. Harrington translates the tales into a somewhat more modern vocabulary, but the charm of the originals shows through. You can clearly see how these were precursors of later fairy stories, at least the ones about women in challenging circumstances.

An eye-opening and entertaining book, and a valuable addition to our knowledge of the history of early women writers.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave 'Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance' by Jane Harrington 3 stars. While I found the information presented to be fascinating, I couldn't help but feel that this book wasn't entirely for me. Perhaps someone younger or with a different reading preference might appreciate it more. As a lover of fairy tales, I was grateful for the opportunity to explore the origins and stories behind these timeless classics. The way the fairy tales were retold and presented was engaging, and I appreciated the insight into the women who created these stories. This book is a great resource for understanding the historical context and female authors who contributed to the fairy tale genre. Overall, it's a worthwhile read for those interested in the subject matter, even if it didn't quite resonate with me

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good introduction to the 'conteuses' aimed at the general reader. The book has a nice fresh chatty style and gives a brief biographical sketch for each of the seven writers that are covered along with lively retellings of a couple of stories attributed to each of them. There are no footnotes but an extensive bibliography which will be useful for anyone wanting to take a deeper dive. Enjoyable.

[Tina Panik · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding collection of original text fairytales, accompanied by biographies of the women who created them.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

So who started the fairy tale craze? It definitely was not the Brothers Grimm since they only compiled tales that they gathered from the country folks they interviewed. Charles Perrault is often credited as the "Father of Fairy Tales" but maybe he should be credited as "Mother since his most famous creation is Mother Goose. What is forgotten and not credited are the women who gathered in salons in the 1690s and later to write tales together. They called themselves conteuses and would set challenges for the types of tales to write. They would then come back together and compare tales.

In Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance, Jane Harrington provides brief histories of seven of these women and one or two of their tales. The women are Marie-Catherine D'Aulnoy, Henriette-Julie Murat, Charlotte-Rose La Force, Marie-Jeanne L'Heritier, Catherine Bernard, Catherine Durand, and Louise D'Auneuil. Also each tale has gorgeous illustrations created by Khoa Le. Harrington also provides a bibliography of sources so that interested parties can follow up on areas of interest.

If the reader enjoys fairy tales, especially ones not well known, do pick up Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance!

Thanks Netgalley and Black Dog & Leventhal Publishing for the chance to read this title!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

We often associate fairy tales with male collectors of stories like of The Brothers Grimm but Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance shows that many of these tales were originally created by women (or conteuses as they were known) and probably for the enjoyment of other women.

Harrington delves into the background and does an excellent job of telling each conteuse's story and how their real life may have impacted on the stories they wished to tell.
Each biographies is a fascinating and engaging read but when it came to reading some of the translation/interpretation of the selected fairy tales, I didn't feel like the style of writing flowed as easily as in it did in previous sections and perhaps the author could have done a little more show and a little less tell in each of the stories.
It is also worth noting that the illustrations throughout this book are beautiful and eye-catching and really helped me enjoy this book.

Overall I did enjoy reading this title and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another biography from this author.



Thanks to Netgalley and Artisan Books for providing me with an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the concept of this book, even on my tablet I can see there are effects on each page making it look aged and the book has beautiful illustrations throughout it.

The chapters start with a biography of a 17th century French, Parisian, female writer, 7 conteuses in total, of fairy tales then an interpretation of at least one of their stories. The background being these stories and these women having been lost over time with only male descriptions of these old stories being in our collective consciousness. The idea that male writers wrote then rewrote these books again for example Hans Christian Anderson, Disney, Voltaire. It’s been really interesting talking to friends about this and I had never heard about any of the women or their lives.

It does feel like 2 books, one giving you the history of the author of the story then the story is described. It reminded me a bit of Women who run with wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes and as such the stories are not ones you can rush. I think it took me a year to read that book and I wonder if I would have enjoyed this book at that much slower pace. I didn’t do that with this book because I didn’t have a physical copy and I struggle to read slowly on my tablet. You can see many of the stories mirrored in modern day stories now, it did feel like the stories were adapted for our modern sensibilities and I didn’t enjoy them any less for that. There was a Poem included which while interesting I do think it probably does lose something in translation. I think overall I would have enjoyed it more if I could have read the books in their original French language but as I cannot read French this was the next best thing!

I think this is an excellent book if you want to understand the background to many of our folk tales and also the women authors who created them in the face of such adversity. I definitely thank god I wasn’t born in the 17th century.

Make sure you read to the end, there are a few pages that are coloured in on the tablet version, you are not at the end. If you finish then you will miss what I feel is the best book. The author also ends with a bibliography and an index which I love in any book. Definitely a book I want to buy a physical hard back copy of.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book (Advanced Reader Copy) for my consideration this is all my own rambling, honest and personal opinions.

[Hermione · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this is a very pretty book, with it's cover art and nice illustrations, its not particularly accurate or well researched. The "founding mother's" it refers to are actually pretty well known. In its opening pages, it picks bits and pieces of history it likes, over simplifying or leaving things out in order to make it's points. It also makes no distinction between folklore and fairytale, or someone writing down a story that's been told many times and someone who writes their own original work.

I find things like this very irritating. As someone who is a feminist, I feel like we don't have to lie or make things up in order "sell" equality.

Thank you to the publisher for the copy of this book for review.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could give this book 3.5 stars, I would. I found the information to be very intriguing, and I enjoyed the sarcasm and wit in Harrington's narrative voice.

The beginning of the book was really fantastic, but as pages went by, I became rather bored. More so with the fairy tales themselves than that of Harrington's commentary. The novels we read today are written so differently than those of old, and I think that evolution has come from past writings feeling less relatable or personable. That was truly the trouble I had in enjoying this read in it's entirety. I liked reading about each author's personal life, but the fairy tale inserts themselves didn't do it for me. I would be interested in reading more of Jane Harrington's work.

[KT · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book 2025 needs!

Despite my love of fairy tales and studying children's literature for a while, I never knew the true origins of fairy tales in 17th century and the conteuses/female storytellers behind them.
Beautifully illustrated, this book offers short biographies of seven women and a sample of their empowering, feminist stories of fantasy, romance and controlling own destiny. It's a joy to read! Forget Disney, Grimm brothers and Perrault, these are how fairy tales should be told. If only I could read French and the original books.
I can't wait to own a physical copy in August when it's finally published.

[Gwen Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! Fairy tales are my favorite form of literature and these were all new to me. I especially appreciated the behind-the-scenes bios of the women who authored them. Such a lovely escape from reality with a dash of justice for forgotten pioneers of the genre.

[Inkyhooves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance gives us a detailed (or at least as detailed as possible) look at seven women writing in the salons of 17th century Paris and the environment that grew out of those famed gatherings. The lives, personalities, triumphs, and challenges of these conteuses are explored in personable, conversational biographies.

I particularly enjoyed the layout of this book. Each section gives a few pages of biography followed by one or two stories by the writer discussed. After reading several books that either focus entirely on the writers and assume a reader's familiarity with their work or that give the stories with a brief paragraph about the authors at the end I truly appreciated being able to have such a nice balance of each set side by side. This presentation was particularly important to me as I was reading an e-copy of the work that makes flipping back and forth inconvenient. I also have to highlight the beautiful illustrations that were in my version. Fairy tale collections have a strong tradition of wonderful, enchanting artwork and I was overjoyed to see that this book, while focused on giving an historical look at the writers presented, was also allowed to keep this tradition of including artwork that helps bring the stories to life.

I've had a long interest in fairy tales, but for many years the narrative I kept coming across was that these stories were universal tales whose oral origins were lost to the mists of time and retellings. I'm excited to see more writers and historians pointing out that many of these stories do indeed have individual authors whose names we can know. Many of these stories grew out of particular cultural and social environments that we can study and learn more about. While there may be much that has been lost, and the section on Louise D'Auneuil highlights just how hazy things can get, there is much that can be known and these writers of the past deserve to be known by name.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachael Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love running across a book which teaches me something through a bit of storytelling. This book delves into a group of French women who formed a bit of a writing group and are some of the forgotten mothers of familiar fairy tale themes. Many people know fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and Charles Perrault, however, it seems as though many of these stories may have originating ideas from the conteuses, female storytellers.

I picked this book with an interest to learn about many of these women and I was pleasantly surprised with how the author shared their stories and their works. Though others seem to critique the simplicity if the writing, I didn't feel the narrative of their lives needed to be complex. I do read a good deal of retellings and interpretations but I enjoyed a brief history into these women's lives. I am sure there are more comprehensive works but this was a good intro if someone is not familiar with the conteuses. I would love to know more and look at more of their works. I think this book will encourage me to do a bit more research into the topic and writings of these women and many others.

I recommend this for anyone who may not have much knowledge on the female writers of this era who may have paved the way for others to follow.. I do think a younger audience could enjoy this book as well so it could fall into a YA category if it wanted. Overall, an enjoyable read with nuggets of history to enjoy as well.

[East of Reality · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the idea of this book more than the book itself. Like many kids I grew up reading fairy tales from Grimm, Disney, whoever else was publishing them … and they were always collected tales, but who were they collected from? To find out that these stories had actual authors who were neither the Brothers Grimm nor men at all was a bit surprising, but what was actually fun was reading the small biographies of some of the women who wrote these fairy tales.

Stories of clever, brave, daring princesses who did more than wait to be saved; stories where the woman outsmarted the villain and used compassion rather than conquest. However, while I enjoyed the biographies — which were well written with a sly, wry humor — the fairy tales were a little too familiar, if only because I've read so many variations of them.

I think this book would be perfect for a younger audience, to remind them that fairy tales and princesses came before Disney, that a princess can be her own rescuer, her own hero, and the star of the story. The lives of the women who wrote these stories, too, are inspiring. Women who stood up for themselves, who defied an oppressive authority in order to live the lives they wanted. Honestly, I’d have loved more biographies.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Scott E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, and I mean that in so many ways. First, it is beautifully written. The prose flows smoothly and is meticulously crafted. The author's discussion of the various authors and their fairytales is poignant and easy to follow -- in my mind, she includes just the right amount of detail to make her points without becoming overwhelming or pedantic. Harrington also makes a number of delightful asides that not only are humorous but further the narrative arc. Second, the subject matter is intensely interesting and a topic I knew nothing about beforehand. Harrington lays out convincingly how the fairytales she chooses for each author are tied into the author's life (almost always heartbreaking) and are subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) acts of subversion. Third, the book's binding, typeface, and illustrations are simply gorgeous. I told friends that each time I picked it up, I felt like I was picking up the Book of Kells -- I always prefer print to digital, but even if I didn't, this is a book that one wants to physically hold and feel the pleasure of turning each page. Finally, hats off for one of the best titles I've seen -- not only catchy, but captures the book's theme brilliantly. In short, as this must-read book makes clear, fairytales are not just for kids after all.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an introduction to the idea of women writers in the late 1600s using fairy tales to subvert modern expectations, "Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance" is a good book. It gives brief biographies of 7 women and includes 2 of the tales each woman wrote in their section. The illustrations alone make the book worth checking out: they are gorgeous.

The biographies themselves are short and basic. I kept thinking as I was reading them that they were designed more for a younger audience, but maybe that was just the writing style- which mimics a fairy tale style of writing. I don't know much about women's lives during this period of French history and the book suggests specific biographies are difficult to come by, but I'd have liked something more focused on the history of the time and how the women used their writings to subvert patriarchal expectations. Clearly they were getting under some people's skins since some of them were arrested, sent to convents, or used and silenced in other ways.

Possibly a good jumping off point to start learning about the idea, it includes an extensive bibliography to check out more in-depth books for more information if you're interest is piqued the way mine was.

[sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to HBG Canada for the gifted copy in exchange of an honest review!

Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance is an interesting little collection that shines a light on women writers from the late 1600s who used fairy tales to push back against their society’s expectations. I really liked the concept, and the book gives short bios of seven different women along with two of their stories each, which was a neat way to balance context with actual writing.

The illustrations are gorgeous and honestly one of the highlights for me—they make the book worth flipping through (even though I unfortunately only got to see the black and white arc version, i still would kill to have some of them on my wall!). That said, the biographies felt a bit surface-level; I sometimes wanted more depth or analysis to tie everything together. Some of it felt slightly too juvenile, but it could also be drawing from the style of fairy tales.

Overall, I’d call this a solid introduction rather than a deep dive. Great idea, beautiful presentation, but not quite as engaging as I hoped.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is divided into two separate parts. The first part is the stories of the women themselves and this part I loved. Their individual stories and struggles were intriguing and relatable even though they are decades in the past. The eternal struggles women face that never seems to end. The second part I struggled with. That part was the actual tales themselves. I think that perhaps they may have lost something in translation. The language was stilted but the cores of each of the indivisible fairy tales was clear and it was intriguing to read them with women’s own personal stories as a reference. I will buy a copy of this beautiful book. It is filled with stunning color illustrations and is something I’m sure I will reference for years to come. Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

I love learning more about literature, especially tales and authors that have been lost to time. I especially liked how this book gave samples of the author's work along with their history so that I could really get to know who they were as people and writers. Some of the fairy tales included here have similar themes and tropes that we see in the more well-known fairy tales which was also really interesting - it made me wonder how many of these were inspiration to the tales that are the ones we all know. I received this as an e-book but will definitely be purchasing a physical copy as soon as it is released.

[Laura✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Women of the Fairy Tale Renaissance” is a beautifully curated introduction to the female authors who helped shape the fairy tale tradition. For readers unfamiliar with these pioneering women, the book offers a rich and accessible gateway into their lives and works. Each author is thoughtfully introduced and their stories are vividly brought to life. The book’s design is equally enchanting—small illustrations and flourishes add to the subject matter perfectly.

While the book excels as an introductory resource, seasoned fairy tale enthusiasts might wish for deeper analysis or broader historical context. Still, its elegance and clarity make it a standout celebration of literary women whose contributions deserve far more recognition.

This was a review for NetGalley.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It had a lot of information about women that I had not heard of previously who contributed to the fairy tale genre but had been overlooked historically. Each woman had a very interesting story, and a lot of them ended up exiled or locked up for various "crimes" (being an educated, literate, and independent woman). I would like to have this as part of my fairy tale collection or as a coffee table book. The fairy tales were interesting but most of them were familiar as the women's male counterparts had popularized their own versions of these tales.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received on NetGalley

The art included in this book is so pretty. I love it. I kinda wish there was more. This book feels like two separate, shorter books were put together. One is a biography of different female authors, and the other is a collection of retellings. I wish the biographies were longer. I picked this book up for them. The retellings could have been an appendix or a separate book entirely.

[Kala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled with this book. The format of the information threw me. I liked the biographical portions of the book but most of the fairy tales I wasn't interested in. And with the fairy tales being spread through out the book with caused me to miss parts of the interconnected biographical parts.

This would definitely require a reread and maybe skipping around to help my brain retain the information.

[Mbur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great jumping off point on 7 unknown European women from the mid 1600's that were pillars in defining and shaping the genre of Fairy Tales that we know today (which pre-dates the Brothers Grimm 1812 curated tales.) I enjoyed learning about not only the tales they created, but their biographical mark on history during that time period. Not 5/5 because I wish there were women from other cultures mentioned.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fairytales and I am studying fairytales at university. This is a great read. I enjoyed the narration of Harrington, I thought she was witty and informative. I am glad to have something of women from fairytales, I wish there was more. I highly recommend!

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting collection of stories from salons where women authors offered prompts and critiques and created fairy tales - and then had them stolen by male authors including Perrault and the Brothers Grimm.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for book club #1. I did not like the writing style here - it felt like it was trying so hard to be "cool", but the women's stories were interesting enough. The actual fairy tales I found kind of boring.