Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Heroines From Books

It's Tuesday, it's Tuesday! That means today I'm going to jump in and see how it feels to be part of the Top Ten Tuesday blog link up. Thank you to The Broke and Bookish for hosting it. 


 Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books
I'm going to start out with five of my favorite fictional heroines (in random order): 
1. Jacy from Over the Divide . I read Over the Divide for the first time when I was around sixteen and I've read it multiple times since then. Jacy and her family are one of my all-time favorite fictional families. If I ever created fan-fiction it would be about Jacy's family Jacy is strong, fiercely loyal, smart and capable. 
2. Esther from The Rivers of Juda h Series. By the same author as Over the Divide Esther doesn’t play a huge part in the series, but every time she is mentioned I like the books a little bit more. As the mother of the main family in the series, she’s sweet, hospitable, loving, encouraging, quiet, understanding and accepting. 
3. Sam from Dear Mr. Knightly. This is the only book on my list that I've read for the first time in the last five years. Sam is a writer and reader, therefore I found myself relating to her a lot. In fact, the whole book is a series of letters she wrote. Read my review of the book here.
4. Penny from Llamas on the Loose & Derwood Inc.  Growing up I read these books over and over again. Penny was pretty much a conglomeration of what I wanted to be. She reminded me a lot of my older sister who is amazing and who I spent years trying to mimic. Penny is the oldest child in her family, bossy, loving, always knew what to do, smart, very loyal to her family, in control of situations, and kind to her younger siblings. 
5. Annette from Treasures of the Snow. My love for Switzerland was birthed from this book. Annette was my childhood hero. I remember braiding my hair into two braids like Annette wore them, putting on an apron and going outside to pretend like I was skipping through the Swiss Alps. Annette's mother "gave: Annette a little baby for her 7th Christmas when Annette's mother died from complications during birth. My dream as a little girl was to have a baby to raise, so how could I not adore the book? Annette is stubborn, strong willed, in complete charge, loyal, protective, capable, and smart. 
And now for five of my favorite non-fictional characters (in random order): 
6. Corrie ten Boom from Lots of books. Corrie ten Boom's books have changed my life. From the time I  read my first book by her, In My Father's House when I was eight, I've been impressed, inspired and encouraged by this amazing lady. Her books have made me laugh, cry, change, and become more as I see life through the eyes of a Nazi Concentration Camp survivor. To sum Corrie up, I'd have to say she's filled with God's love. And that, to me, is the highest praise of all. 
7. Betise ten Boom from The Hiding Place. As Corrie's sister, Betsie ten Boom's life lived on through Corrie's writing even after Betsie died in a Nazi Concentration Camp. Betsie is an amazing example of sweetness, showing God's love and forgiveness to everyone and praising God no matter what. My oldest sister is named after her, so I've heard about Betsie ten Boom all of my life. I really think everyone should read at least one of the Ten Boom books. 
8. Amy Burrit from My American Adventure. It took me a while to realize it, but finally I pegged my decade-long desire of traveling to every state in the USA in a year-long RV trip to this book. Reading Amy's book when I was close to the same age as she was when she wrote it, I was thrilled and excited to find out that there were kids my age out there writing their own books. Amy is spunky, realistic, outdoorsy, fun, confident and adventuresome. 
9. Esther from the Bible. Esther's story has always amazed me. A orphaned commoner who is chosen to be queen? Then add in her secret heritage, her cunning plans and the magnificent way she saves a whole people group from destruction, her whole people group. Then finish out the mix with realizing that this is a true historical account. To me, that's just crazy! Esther is beautiful, loving, loyal humm, I must like loyalty in people, brave, wise, dedicated, and obedient to God. 
10. Laura Ingalls from the Little House on the Prairie Books. I have no clue how many times I've read Laura's books, but I do know that for years I dreamed and schemed and tried to figure out how I could go out west by covered wagon. With having a sister right above me and two right under me, I decided early on that Laura and I had a lot in common. I need to get her books out again some day and dive back into them. The Long Winter  seems like a perfect book for today... 
* * *What about you? Who are some of your favorite heroines?