Beyond the Sword Maiden: A Storyteller’s Introduction to the Heroine’s Journey

All too often both traditional storytellers and the media regard the Hero’s Journey as the one true recipe for a good story. In this well-researched and clearly written book, Dorothy Cleveland and Barbara Schutzgruber prove that there are other kinds of stories that are just as essential to the human experience: tales of survival and transformation that we may encounter at any point in our lives. With deep knowledge and personal honesty, these two incredible women bring us the Heroine’s Journey, tracing its origins and possibilities from the oldest folktales to life in the 21st century. This book is a much-needed addition to any storyteller’s resource library.

—Csenge Virag Zalka, storyteller, author of Tales of Superhuman Powers and Dancing on Blades