Helen of Troy is a character who has a lot of drama behind
her name. Some see her as a romantic figure, others as selfish. I’ll hold my
opinions on that subject. While searching for good books to book talk for 6th
graders, I came across Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner. This is a
young adult story about a young Helen of Sparta, the future Queen of Sparta,
and the cause of ever so much trouble.
Helen grows up as a pretty girl. Everyone says so and
although she does not know what pretty is she accepts it. However, when Helen
turns 12/13 she starts changing. Her hormones kick in and she becomes awkward
(I don’t miss those times). She is no longer sure of herself and she certainly
does not want to practice the womanly arts of weaving and sewing. Helen wants
to redefine herself and become her own person. She wants to learn to fight,
ride, and run like her brothers, but a girl isn't supposed to do those things! But
Helen is crafty and determined. Surely she can find a way to learn what she
wants and have the adventures she’s always dreamed of!
This was a fast paced story. The action kept moving and I
wanted to continue reading. Helen is a spirited young woman and I enjoyed her
as a character for the most part. She is determined and knows what she wants.
She always finds a way to get what she’s after, perhaps a foreshadowing of the
woman she will become.
The other characters played minor roles throughout the tale
and it was nice to see some variance. I didn’t like that every character who
seemed to enjoy or practice the womanly arts was kind of a bitch, but women who
hunted or adventure like men are totally awesome. I mean I get what the author
is going for with “not being your average girl”, but it annoys me that every
time a girl is “different” she’s masculine or enjoys something only men are
supposed to do.
An aspect of the story I truly enjoyed was seeing how the
gods and goddesses were worshiped. The author had her characters making
sacrifices, praying, and worshiping different gods/goddesses throughout the
text. It was great to get to see this in context. It was interesting to see
what the characters actually thought about their deities and who would be
prayed to/worshiped depending on the task/season.
I got through this book quickly and enjoyed it. It was a fun
read, but it wasn't spectacular. If you like mythology and historical fiction
this is right up your alley.
