TTT: Books with "Difficult" Women

Top Ten Tuesday is a Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's TTT topic: Books That Feature Characters Who....

I'm back! Finally. Kind of sort of. I'm still in the transition process. We close on our house this week and get our stuff soon after. Then comes the unpacking. But I'm getting in more time for reading again. (Stay tuned.)

In the meantime, this week's Top Ten Tuesday was one I couldn't pass up. When I saw this week's topic, I immediately though of my favorite kind of heroine: The "Difficult" Female. Who finds these fine ladies difficult? Usually the people in their stories angry that they won't fit in the nice neat boxes they want to stuff them in. And they won't go quietly into them either. I find it strange that many times readers don't like these heroines either, probably because they are my everything.

Difficult Woman: The Queen of Attolia

Who Finds her Difficult: Pretty much everyone else in the book including herself.

Why I Love Her: She is ambitious, ruthless, intelligent, and an excellent, organized administrator. Attolia is my favorite character of all time.

Difficult Woman: Harriet Vane
Who Finds her Difficult: A lot of puffed up self-righteous people with too many opinions on things they know nothing about. Herself. Peter (the hero), but only because he wants her to see herself and him clearly, not because he's trying to conform her to anything.j
Why I Love Her: Harriet is fiercely intelligent and introspective. I identify with her on a lot of levels, particularly her struggles in this novel.

Difficult Woman: Kate Sutton
Who Finds Her Difficult: Everyone trying to get her to stay where they put her.
Why I Love Her: She is intensely curious and stubborn. While those to trait combinations get her in trouble, they also save her (and Christopher) in the end. She is also all that is sassy and snarky.

Difficult Woman: Aravis
Who Finds Her Difficult: Pretty much every male in the novel.
Why I Love Her: This young girl concocted a brilliant plot to escape an arranged marriage and her own future.

Difficult Woman: Meg Murry

Who Finds Her Difficult: Everyone (including herself) except Calvin who just revels in who she is.

Why I Love Her: Reading this book as a child is the first time I ever remember fully seeing myself in a character in a book. Introverted, smart (but feels not quite smart enough), awkward, Meg means more to me than I could ever properly put into words.

Difficult Woman: Kat Stephenson

Who Finds Her Difficult: Everyone with firm ideas of how proper ladies should behave and everyone who wants her highly inquisitive self out of their nefarious business.

Why I Love Her: Read the Kat books if you haven't, and I guarantee you'll love her too. She's vivacious, smart, loyal, stubborn, and devoted to her family.

Difficult Woman: Rose Lee Carter

Who Finds Her Difficult: Her Family (particularly her cousin and grandmother)

Why I Love Her: Rose's journey of discovery, both of herself and the world around her, is a beautiful story. I adore her brain, her ambition, her stubbornness, and her heart.

Difficult Woman: Tiffany Aching
Who Finds Her Difficult: Anyone Who Attempts to Cross Her
Why I Love Her: Tiffany is a heroine who grew in to her stature as a difficult woman over time. I loved watching her become the confident, talented, wise woman she is.

Difficult Woman: Tori Beuagrand

Who Finds Her Difficult: Everyone in some way or another.

Why I Love Her: Tori exudes a fierce determination and confidence even when she is floundering and falling apart inside. She is a firm friend and willing to make any sacrifice necessary to protect those she loves.

Difficult Woman: Charlotte Eason
Who Finds Her Difficult: Men with a small minded view of what women can and should be doing. Her parents. Eugene (the hero), but only because their relationship is complicated, not because he wants her any differently.
Why I Love Her: Charlie is ambitious and wants to do her best at the job she's been given. I love the way she figures out the tension between her heart and her head and reconciles the two.

I could have an endless list for this particular topic, which is why I'm so strict about actually limiting the TTT lists to ten. These are definitely my favorite though.

Do you enjoy any character considered a "difficult" woman?

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