Juvenile Fiction
Yearling
1997
170
Mary de Holt, a 15-year old is faced with an unwanted marriage. She flees into the Barnsdale forest and is followed by her nurse Agnes. They find the home of the Forestwife, a herbalist wo is the source of local legends and fears. They find that the old woman Forestwife has died and Agnes and Mary taker her place. Their living place becomes a source of help to troubled women. Mary becomes Marian the Green Lady and is joined by brave women and men. They are also visited by the Green Man or Robert of Loxley.
My Review: I absolutely adore this book. My aunt gave this book to me several years ago and I make it a habit to ready it every year. I have always fantasized about living in the forest being a tough woman who hunted and lived of the land. This is Marion’s point of view of the forest life. The classic Robin Hood characters appear, but Marian is a main focus. She is the leader to her own band of women, instead of being apart of the Robin Hood clan. I found Mary to be a fearless woman who is a huntress, a herbalist, and skilled archer. Girls will look up to her because she is made out to be a hero who is passionate and dedicated to the cause of justice.
Watch Out For: A brief scene of nudity, hunting, killings, death, and mild violence
