Ripening: Why Women Need Fairy Tales Now

by Sharon Blackie

'Fairy tales matter because at the heart of every one of them is transformation.'

In a world in which all the old certainties seem to be crumbling, it's hard not to feel we have lost our way. In Ripening, Sharon Blackie insists that fairy tales are precisely the stories we need for such times.

Long before they became bywords for people-pleasing princesses, these old stories – passed down to us through generations by our peasant ancestors – told us everything that women need to learn about the world. They might be set in difficult and dangerous times, but they require their heroines to face the unfaceable and dig deep for previously unimagined inner resources. They teach us to be savvy, inspire us to grow in confidence, show us how to be bold and claim the future we dream of.

More than anything, fairy tales are soul-food. They show us how to take hold of our own personal narratives and transform them into stories that might begin with trauma, but end with empowerment. They offer us images of startling resonance and beauty, whilst showing us how to recognise and make use of the possibilities that rise to the surface when broken systems are cracked open.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Mythology, Audiobook, Irish Literature

Audible Audio

Published May 14, 2026

Reviews

[Coco Sanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every word of this book. Very inspiring❤️

[Tatiana Goded · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon Blackie’s books have always arrived when I most needed them. “Ripening” was no exception. I devoured all her other non-fiction books after finding “Wise women” in my favourite bookshop in Wellington. “Hagitude”, “The enchanted life” and “If women rose rooted” moved me to my core, and provided that deep need for meaning through the deep essence of fairy tales and our connection to the land. They helped me feel rooted and connected to myself in a way I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I have them near me to reread them again in times of need. In a moment when I am making a big move in my life at 50, one that most consider crazy but that feels right from my deepest core, I needed something to reinforce my deep intuition. And one day I received an email from Sharon’s substack account, announcing the release of “Ripening”. It was as of life had heard my needs. I knew last year she was writing her next book, but life got on the way and I hadn’t kept on the loop. Just reading about its contents made me cry, how it helped us connect to ourselves via fairy tales, how they could help you make difficult decisions and take leaps of faith. I hadn’t realised how much I missed Sharon’s deep ancestral wisdom. I ordered the book that same day, and it has been food for my soul in the last days. Yesterday I finished it with tears in my eyes. So many women and girls should read it, to see the value we bring to the world, to understand our wisdom and our resilience. This book was a bit different in the sense that she didn’t tell the entire stories, but summarised them to dig deep into their meaning and purpose. There were stories I hadn’t heard of before that I would have loved to know more about. But this was not the purpose of this book: she’s managed to dig deep into the meaning of fairy tales from many different countries and connect them, giving us wings to fly and roots to feel grounded. Thank you, Sharon, for feeding my soul in such a beautiful way, for bringing so much hope and strength to women who have lost it. I can’t wait till your next book

[Ella-Mae Campling · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something reverential about how Sharon Blackie seemingly releases an erudite delight right when we in society seemingly need them most. Following on from the success of Wise Women, If Women Rose Rooted and Hagitude, and MORE it’s hard to believe that I could end up finding another book surrounding fairytales and mythologies intrinsic links to our modern psyche so inherently fascinating. But oh how I did. A fascinating foray into certain archetypes and their capturing hold on society lays before you when you pick this one up (because you should). It glided into publication right as I personally needed this collection; featuring sections on the beginning of a girl, the transitions of girls into womanhood, and following through on how finding a center of self, always returning to yourself and community, this is a beautiful ode to the connections of others we can often find by turning to earlier tales, as well as examining their pollution and transformation across time and societies. Written with such a care and passion for her subject, a non-fiction that has such warmth is a treat to read. My copy is littered in notes, and as someone with a deep fascination behind the relationship between fairytales, mythologies, ancient tales and modern societies- this book was another absolute wonder to read.

[Lottie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Yes, we really do. We really need fairytales. Unfortunately that’s pretty unrealistic in late-stage capitalism. This book provided great insight into various topics, like folklore and fairy tales links to feminism, and how to survive the current state of the world. I wasn’t sure how it all linked together, and it was getting somewhat repetitive by the end, but this was still a solid read overall