That’s right. We get a whole month. To celebrate Women’s History Month, I thought I’d take a look at some of my favorite heroines in literature. There’s a reason their stories are popular, and it’s not just because the books they inhabit are good. These ladies’ stories resonate with their readers because they provide strong role models for what it means to be a woman in the world and the obstacles we face in our lives. (And, of course, our triumphs.) Most importantly, I believe the women in my favorite books show that we don’t fit neatly into any one category. By that I mean that being a woman can mean many things. Each of us has our own idea of what defines or doesn’t define our femininity. And that idea doesn’t necessarily have to be what society thinks makes us women. So, without further ado, here are some of the heroines we’ll be discussing this month:

Anne Elliot, of Jane Austen’s Persuasion

Elizabeth Bennet, of Pride and Prejudice

Matilda, from Roald Dahl’s Matilda

Eowyn and Arwen, of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy

Katniss Everdeen, of The Hunger Games series

Hermione Granger, Minerva McGonagall, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Molly Weasley, and Lilly Potter, of the Harry Potter series

Mia Thermopolis, of The Princess Diaries series

Mary Russell, of the Marry Russell and Sherlock Holmes novels

And, from Game of Thrones, a whole litany of characters, but with particular attention paid to Brienne of Tarth, Sansa Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, and Cersei Lannister.