Heroes and Heroines
“THE PAGE TURNERS”
HEROES AND HEROINES
Due to continued Covid restrictions, there was no opportunity for book club members to meet up in February. Instead the Page Turners were set the task to decide who is the greatest hero or heroine they have read about on their literary journeys. Will it be Hercule Poirot, from Agatha Christie’s crime novels; or Winston Smith, from 1984 by George Orwell; or a young heroine like Hermione Grainger, from the Harry Potter series?
Nicola’s greatest hero is Tate from Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Nicola appreciated the way Tate saw Kya as an individual in her own right. Unlike many others, who only saw her as ‘the marsh girl’ and made many assumptions about her, Tate understood Kya and recognised the value of her for who she was.
Lynne’s heroine is Eleanor Oliphant from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Eleanor is a social misfit with a traumatic past. She tries to deal with the loneliness and isolation she has lived with for many years; a theme many people will empathise with, having had to endure similar emotions during the pandemic lockdown restrictions. She manages to transform herself and live a fuller life, which makes her a heroine in Lynne’s eyes.
Helen’s selection is Maya Angelou who wrote seven volumes of autobiography, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Helen believes Maya speaks eloquently and frankly about her experiences of growing up in the 1930s Deep South. No detail is spared but also nothing is sensationalised past the point of the wonder with which her childlike eyes saw the world. Everything she experienced is tackled with honesty and confidence; what shines through is Angelou’s love and appreciation for the world as something wondrous, something to be grateful for even when it seems impossible. This makes Maya a genuine heroine in Helen’s opinion.
May’s choice of hero is Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus agrees to defend Tom, a black man, accused of raping a white woman, knowing that he will face local prejudice. He defends Tom against a lynch mob and in spite of the evidence, Tom is found guilty. May believes that Atticus is a hero for standing up for what is right, in spite of the risks involved.
Jill’s favourite book while growing up was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and her choice for the title of greatest heroine is Jo March, who she identified with strongly. Jill admired Jo’s vivid imagination, sense of adventure, fearlessness and deep love for her family. She was a true feminist and fought against the social restraints of her time, but in time she conquered her personal faults & became a happily fulfilled wife and mother.
Sylvia’s hero is an aloof and romantic hero, “a noble character at heart, albeit somewhat prideful”: Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Does this choice have anything to do with Mr Darcy, played by Colin Firth, emerging from a lake in the TV version…. ?!
Rafi Bukhara from the novel Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton was Babs choice. Following the deaths of close family members, Rafi heroically and lovingly guarded his young brother Basi during their 6 month journey from Syria. Subsequently, when his school in Somerset is under siege by two men armed with automatic weapons, despite already suffering with PTSD as a result of his earlier traumas, Rafi was the first to recognise the danger. He ensured the successful evacuation of the Junior School. Truly a hero of our times, claims Babs.
Sandra’s choice is Jane Eyre from the novel by Charlotte Bronte. Sandra considers Jane to be completely self-sufficient and capable of enduring solitude, loneliness and heartbreak. Jane always relied on herself for guidance and comfort and survives the disapproval and cruelty of others. She has true values and principles and will not sacrifice these no matter what the outcome: which is what all true heroines do.
Do you agree with the choices made by the Page Turners?