Women's Power Series Part V

Welcome back to our Women’s Power series, where I talk about media that celebrates the many facets of women. We are not just one thing. Many moments make us into the women we are today. We will continue our series with the following: Women Are Protectors.

Women are not just damsels in distress. They manage difficult confrontations, show social awareness to anticipate society’s needs, fight for the safety of those around them, and work to make the world a better place just as much as, if not more than men. Despite so many in society trying to put women down and wanting them to be silent, we are an integral part of society, and the following women are the very definition of that. 

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

After her cat shelter is destroyed in 1920s Montreal by two rogue magicians, Agnes quickly finds a new building that is willing to house her cats. However, things change when she finds out after she moves in that her new landlord is Havelock Renard, a powerful magician who nearly caused the apocalypse. He is using Agnes’ shelter as a front so that the police can’t find his workshop or the clients he caters to. Will Agnes and her clowder of cats be able to survive the evil magical machinations that follow their new landlord?

Why Read: At the beginning of the book, people think Agnes is weird for running a charity for stray cats. They thought it was better to give money and support to human causes. I love that Agnes rejects that notion and continues to provide shelter to every cat that she finds on the street. She goes above and beyond to help the cats. Despite her hatred for magic, Agnes reluctantly works with Havelock to help find her cats’ new homes.

Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer

The story follows Amy and her group of friends and neighbors: Melissa, Jess, and Liz. They have been the best of friends for several years, having met at the school their kids attend. They consider themselves the outsiders among the moms in their neighborhood because they are not obsessed with all the pageantry that their neighborhood subscribes to. One day, Amy, Melissa, and Jess watch in horror as a supernatural presence possesses Liz’s body. Liz’s friends are determined to get her back. However, whatever is possessing Liz is not going out without a fight.

Why Read: The women’s friendships illustrate how far they are willing to go to save their friend despite not knowing exactly how to accomplish that. It illustrates what happens in real life. Sometimes we have friends that are going through things harder than we imagine. However, it is important to just be there for them even if you have no clue how to help. 

Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer

After being acquitted for performing the last abortion in North Dakota, Dr. Liz is trying to find a job as a doctor. She applies to a posting that she sees online. However, when she meets her potential employers, they kidnap her. When she wakes up, she discovers that her kidnappers are part of a cult and want her to be their OB/GYN. While exploring the cult’s compound, she discovers how repressed women are in the group. Dr. Liz wants to find a way to save the women and herself from the cult’s grasp, but will she be able to find an opportunity to flee?

Why Read: Dr. Liz is an inspiring heroine. She observes the cult’s ways to learn their weaknesses, especially the fragility among the cult members. Instead of acting recklessly, she plots her escape while waiting for the perfect opportunity to get help for her and the women being abused. 

Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon, along with her Sailor Scouts, fight together to protect the world from evil. 

Why Watch: Sailor Moon illustrates that girls can be an active part of their society, but also demonstrates that they have the power to save and defend others. Sailor Moon was also a great leader and provided great strength and support to her fellow Scouts and friends despite her weaknesses (Sailor Moon struggles with grades and keeping up in class). She also proves that girls can rescue themselves instead of waiting for a guy to save the day. 

Princess Mononoke

A young prince is cursed. While on his journey for a cure, he finds himself in the middle of a war between Lady Eboshi (leader of Iron Town) and San/Princess Mononoke (protector of the forest). 

Why Watch: San is a young girl raised by wolves. She uses her prowess and strength with weaponry to defend the inhabitants of the forest from the villagers of Iron Town, who wish to destroy the land. San also illustrates the importance of protecting our environment. When people abuse the land, it makes it inhospitable for future generations of all living creatures. 

That’s it for now. Thanks for joining me as I celebrate these wonderful women. They illustrate that women not only know how to fight back, but can protect everyone who is around them. They are not fragile beings to be silenced. These women know their own power and how to utilize it to make society a better place. Join me next time as we continue our exploration of women with Part 6: Women Can Defy the Odds.