The Feminist's Guide to Raising a Little Princess: How to Raise a Girl Who's Authentic, Joyful, and Fearless--Even If She Refuses to Wear Anything but a Pink Tutu

by Yva Las Vegass, Sands Xe (Narrated by)

Overview

Devorah Blachor, an ardent feminist, never expected to be the parent of a little girl who was totally obsessed with the color pink, princesses, and all things girly. She wasn't sure how to reconcile the difference between her parental expectations and the reality of her Disney-worshiping three-year-old daughter. Offering insight, advice, and plenty of humor and personal anecdotes, this mother shares her story of how she surrendered control and opened up-to her Princess Toddler, to pink, and to life. She addresses important issues such as how to raise a daughter in a society that pressures girls and women to conform to an unrealistic beauty ideal, and how to let her daughter feel free to be her authentic self.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681688091
Publisher:	HighBridge Company
Publication date:	11/07/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 5.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Devorah Blachor is a New York Times Motherlode columnist and also writes for the Huffington Post, McSweeney's, the Hairpin, Redbook, Mommyish, Good Housekeeping, and the Rumpus, among other websites and magazines.

Xe Sands is an award-winning narrator known for her authentic characterizations and intimate delivery. She has more than a decade of experience bringing stories to life through narration, performance, and visual art, and she has been recognized for her engaging romance narrations.

Table of Contents

Introduction: How Many Feminists Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb? ix

Part 1 The Little Princess Inside Our Home

Chapter 1 What Is a Little Princess? 3

Chapter 2 Who Are the Little Princess Parents? 25

Chapter 3 Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, Who's the Control-Freakiest of Them All? 53

Chapter 4 Congratulations! It's a Beautifull 77

Chapter 5 The Magical World of the Disney Dollar 100

Part 2 The Little Princess Outside Our Home

Chapter 6 Real Princesses Aren't Passive Cream Puffs 141

Chapter 7 Real Women Don't Cackle 163

Chapter 8 Do Real Princesses Do Windows? 175

Chapter 9 Feminist Fairy Tales 195

Chapter 10 Princess Perfect 208

Chapter 11 Love…Of Course! Lovel 224

Chapter 12 Happily Ever After 238

Afterword: Princesses and Wolves 265

Acknowledgments 269

Notes 271

About the Author 275

Editorial Reviews

10/02/2017
Essayist Blachor cobbles together her haphazardly constructed nonfiction debut from a selection of 14 humorous and satirical essays originally published in venues such as the New York Times and the Huffington Post. Their shared theme is the quandary faced by feminist moms in the form of the hyperfeminine, hypercommercialized “princess culture” promoted to little girls by Disney and mainstream American culture in general. Ongoing sections in each chapter include “Interesting Little Princess Facts,” which highlights disturbing aspects of princess culture (such as that “Tiana is the only Disney princess with a job”), and “Femtastic Godmother,” in which traditional fairy tales are given uninspired feminist rewrites. A long final section of interviews with 16 young women and former “little princesses” is meant to reassure, but should have been winnowed down to only the most insightful answers. Blachor is not empathetic enough to give relatable parenting advice, not enough of a sociologist to delve into cultural trends, and not funny enough to have this much of her work on a fairly narrow topic presented all in one place. This collection provides a few chuckles, but overall, its potpourri of approaches to the princess problem fails to convince. Agent: Jody Kahn, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

"Blachor's The Feminist's Guide to Raising a Little Princess is a fun, informative read peppered with funny anecdotes and informative thoughts on things like the value of embracing the feminine, American optimism, and maternal healthcare. (There's also a chapter that will feel all too familiar to any parent that's ever taken their toddler to Disneyland Paris and immediately regretted it). This is a book about what it means to be a feminist and trying to raise a feminist daughter who happens to be obsessed with the color pink, frilly dresses, and also being a princess. It's also about why you can't blame Disney. Even if you really, really want to." 
– Jennifer McCartney, New York Times bestselling author of The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place

“I am pro-princess and became a staunch feminist (this combo is because of, not in spite of, my feminist mother). Devorah Blachor is a staunch feminist and became pro-princess (this is because of, not in spite of, her princessy daughter.) Eventually, we both arrived at the same conclusion: the concepts are symbiotic, not mutually exclusive. In a world of toxic masculinity, knee-jerk reactions against princess culture are passé. Blachor’s humorous guide helps parents surrender to the magic and find the right balance.” 
– Jerramy Fine, author of In Defense of the Princess: How Plastic Tiaras and Fairy Tale Dreams Can Inspire Strong, Smart Women

"Devorah Blachor deftly weaves personal stories with research and clever humor in The Feminist’s Guide to Raising a Little Princess. This funny and relatable book Is perfect for any imperfect parents who find things not going according to their parenting plans."
– Julie Vick, Parenting Writer for The Washington Post "On Parenting", Parents Magazine

"I happen to be the mother of a boy, but I have many friends who are both feminists and parents of pink-obsessed girls. I wholeheartedly recommend they read Devorah Blachor's The Feminist Guide to Raising a Little Princess. It's hilarious, wise, relatable,  and insightful. I snort-laughed more than once while I read it. Before I even finished it, I started telling friends 'You have to read this book - you'll love it'."
– Janine Annett, writer for The New York Times Well Family, The Huffington Post and Parent.Co

"I adored Devorah Blachor's "The Feminist's Guide to Raising a Little Princess." It's a rare book that combines "serious" science with hilarious "opposite of serious" stories that bring the point of the "serious" science home in a completely relatable way. For feminists with pink-and-princess-obsessed preschoolers who wonder where they went wrong, Blachor reassures you that it's not you — it's them! There's hard wiring that makes your child the way she is. I wish this book had been around when my daughter was small. I'll be sharing it with friends who are mystified by the little princesses in their own lives."
– Page Barnes, Editor and Founder, The Haven

“I would call this book “adorable” if I didn’t think I’d get a punch in the nose.  “Genuinely funny”, “hilariously inventive”, and “truly insightful” work as well.  With raw honesty, cynical wit, and even scientific research, Devorah has let us into her life as a mom who loves her daughter even as she is mystified by who the hell her daughter is.  She exposes the real emotions as she competes for role-model dominance with Ariel, Cinderella, Elsa, and the whole gang of pink loving Disney princesses.  As a dad with a daughter who is constantly confusing me as well, I highly recommend this book.  Even the footnotes made me laugh out loud. Don’t miss them!“
– Gary Rudoren, Co-author of McSweeney’s Comedy By The Numbers and dad of twins.

"The struggle is real. As a fellow feminist and mother of a young daughter, I too have battled the Princess Industrial Complex, but have been beaten down by tiaras and tutus. This hilariously funny book is a guide to tackling pink-glitter-bomb-fluffiness and #winning. Best of all, Devorah Blachor's common-sense talk teaches us how to counteract harmful messages while allowing our daughters to become their own people."
– Fiona Taylor, Co-founder of The Belladonna

From the Publisher