I think Tomlinson's Marian makes a great role model, not just for girls but boys as well. She is clearly the star of the novel, not just the hero's wife or girlfriend. This Marian is not a damsel in distress, but she's not a cookie cutter Merry Man either. And she's passionate and dedicated to the cause of justice, becoming an even better leader than Robin. Oh, she does learn to use a bow, but she's also a skilled herbalist. In the past few decades, many writers have toughened up Marian again.Īnd so, Tomlinson's Marian is a very strong character. Other times, she's in need of rescuing or is just the swooning girlfriend. But she's been softened a lot in the children's novels of the last two centuries. Tomlinson has made Marian's nurse an enjoyable character - a feat which I thought impossible.Ī lot of Maid Marian's early appearances in the legend have her as a huntress, a skilled archer and fighter. Then I realized that Agnes is Marian's nurse.
When I was drafting this review in my head, I was going to mention that these characters are far more interesting than that irritating nurse that appears in a lot of Robin Hood stories.
Mary Magdalen among others are as interesting as the classic heroes. Instead of just being one of Robin's band, she's the leader of her own group of women. The traditional Robin Hood characters appear, in slightly untraditional roles, but the focus is clearly on Marian. The Forestwife is a young adult novel told from Marian's point of view.
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