heroine's journey

Joseph Campbell, noted writer on mythology,talked about how in many cultures, a theme of the hero's journey is evident. We see this in everything from The Odyssey to Star Wars. In the two following books, the young women that are the central characters are experiencing the hero's journey,the quest for identity. Bonnie Jo Campbell wrote Once Upon A River, which takes place on a river in Michigan. She is a self-sufficient young woman who can handle a rifle or skin game but is still a child when it comes to making choices. The violent death of her father cuts her off from her extended family and she undertakes a journey to find her absent mother. The journey,as all hero's quests,is a journey of self discovery.

In Winter's Bone, young Ree Dolley is on a journey to save the family home,after her father puts it up for bail and disappears. Ree's mother is mentally ill and she must find her father to keep the family farm for her younger brother and sister. This novel takes an unflinching look at a rural Ozark community that has been devastated by methamphetamine use. With the "law" no help and people refusing to talk Ree has to bravely forge ahead,and what she finds at the end is explosive. Both of these books feature wonderful writing and admirable lead characters. ML