Straying away from the perfect princess narrative, Jason Porath’s Rejected Princesses provides a complete look at women in history, presenting them as the complicated individuals they were. The book, inspired by Porath’s popular blog of the same name, aims to showcase the darker side of historical women, touching on subjects like abuse, self-harm and rape.

The series also tells the stories of amazing women who no one really knows about. For example, Shirin Gerami: Iran’s first female triathlete who designed a special gear so that she and other Muslim women could compete in elite sports while following their faith. Or Meenakshi Amma, a sword fighting grandma who has been practicing Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art from Kerala, for 68 years and now teaches classes for free.

Women from recent popular culture are also showcased, including Jessie Graff, a stuntwoman and athlete, who was the first female competitor to make it to the final stage of American Ninja Warrior.  

That’s the beauty of Rejected Princesses. It’s about women of all types, all nationalities, sexual orientations, races and creeds. The author does an incredible job of presenting these heroines, as he calls them, as whole people; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not shying away from dark subjects makes the book interesting and inspiring.

The importance of this type of content is unmeasurable. It represents women not often seen in media, and it displays them as forces to be reckoned with. Not as the damsel in distress but as the leader, the savior, and change maker. I can only imagine the impact that this type of content has on little girls. Seeing the women who came before them who broke the glass ceiling must be awe inspiring. I can only hope that Rejected Princesses is the first of its kind.