Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ella of Frell has been gifted something by a fairy since birth. However, Ella certainly sees that "gift" as a curse. The fairy made it so that Ella must always obey what she is told even if it causes her harm. Ella has lived with this always, but has never given up. She has faith in herself that she will one day be able to do as she--and not others--want.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is a classic book for women of my generation. We read it as girls and it has stayed with us since. Perhaps one reason it stuck with us is that many of us felt as though we had a similar "gift" to Ella's.
True, none of us have ever been truly cursed by a fairy, but society too often tells girls to be quiet and do as they're told, both of which make us smaller, meeker. While there are of course times to do as you are recommended, as we grow, we should all earn the agency to make choices for ourselves.
Ella Enchanted remains a classic for a reason, and while I wish some of that reasons wasn't rooted in how girls are often socialized, it is a pillar to remind girls to claim their agency.
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