Strong female literary characters are beloved by many for a wide variety of reasons, but all can agree that the world of literature would be a pretty bland place if not for characters like Scarlett O'Hara, Scout Finch, and Jo March.

In her book, THE HEROINE'S BOOKSHELF: LIFE LESSONS FROM JANE AUSTEN TO LAURA INGALLS WILDER, author Erin Blakemore looks at some of the most popular female literary characters in history and how they have affected her life personally as well as the lives of others.

Dividing her book into twelve chapters, Blakemore uses twelve different personality traits that fit fictional characters that she feels exemplifies this trait. For the chapter on "Happiness" she looks at Anne Shirley from the Anne of Green Gables series, while the chapter on "Dignity" features Ceilie from Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple. Scarlett O'Hara was the epitome of feistiness in the chapter entitled "Fight," while Harper Lee taught her readers lessons in compassion through her character of Scout Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird.

Blakemore uses information from the author's background and what went into the writing of her books as well as offering parallels from her own life to round out the chapter. Each chapter ends with suggestions of the circumstances in our modern day that might have readers searching for answers and offers ideas of books with similar themes or heroines.

A slender volume, THE HEROINE'S BOOKSHELF packs a lot of information into its 200 pages and will be right at home on any literature lover's bookshelf.