Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure

This has been one of my favorite folktales since I first read it about eight years ago. Mainly, I love it because it has a strong main character who is a woman. Margaret, an Irish lass, has a brave heart. She dreams of adventure and longs to travel to distant lands. One day, a tall ship appears in the harbor and Margaret is determined to board it for new adventures.

As in most folktales, all does not initially go well. Margaret meets a handsome prince, but then faces danger first at sea and then on land. She is tricked into captivity by an old woman with strange powers. The woman has a plan for Margaret that involves slaying a dragon.

Margaret must find a way to overcome these obstacles so she can lead herself and her true love to show more safety.

This is a story of persistence, bravery and love. A great lesson of never give up can be taken away from this book. show less

"Brave Margaret" is an Irish folktale telling the story of an independant woman who wants to see the world. When a ship docks in the cove below her cliff-side home, Margaret takes the opportunity to travel to the Kingdom of the Cold. Along the way she finds love and adventure and discovers a courage she didn't know she had.
Unlike many women portrayed in folktales, Margaret is not waiting for her prince to save her from her circumstances. She takes action, risks her life for the safety of her companions, and shows bravery and intelligence as she tackles the obstacles that come her way. She is a wonderful heroine.
The story is fast-paced and exciting, complete with a sea serpent, vicious storms, an old sorceress, and a menacing giant. show more Beautiful illustrations support the action, full of motion and rich with color and detail.

Robert San Souci is the author of more than 60 titles for both adults and children, many of them adaptations of folktales from around the world. His work is highly regarded and various titles have been listed as notable or nominated for awards throughout his 30 year career. show less

Taken from William Larminie's 1893 collection, West Irish Folk-Tales and Romances, Brave Margaret is the story of a young Irish girl who falls in love with the sea-faring Simon, son of the King of the East, and ends up battling sea serpents and giants for his sake.

Described by the School Library Journal as a "quintessential hero tale with a feminist twist," San Souci's story features an engaging heroine who is both loving and strong, and should appeal to young readers who like tales of romance and derring-do. I found Sally Wern Comport's somewhat dark illustrations rather uneven, but enjoyed the sense of movement and power they convey. Well worth the time of any Irish folklore enthusiast, and I thank my friend Kathryn for reminding me show more of it! show less

San, S. R., & Comport, S. W. (1999). Brave Margaret: an Irish adventure. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Red-haired Margaret lives alone in a farm where she is her own boss. One morning, Simon, a prince, washes ashore. His ship has run short on supplies, and he offers to buy her cattle with gold. Yearning for adventure and in love with Simon, Margaret negotiates her addition to the crew. After a few days under heavy mist, the crew is attacked by a sea serpent demanding Margaret in exchange for not harming the crew. When Simon and the others refuse, Margaret sneaks out of the ship in a boat and kills the serpent. A violent storm takes her to land where she finds a cottage and an old woman who gives Margaret shelter. show more For days she goes to the shore, and for days the storm rages. Margaret vows to leave the cottage in search of Simon when he knocks on the door. The old lady spoils the happy reunion holding Margaret captive in exchange for Simon slaying a dragon. Only a magical sword will kill the monster, but only the one who can wear the magical ring can hold the sword. Simon fails the test but chooses to fight the dragon anyway. He is struck down by the creature. Enraged, Margaret wears the magical ring, grabs the magical sword, and slays the beast. The old woman, now a raven-haired beauty, gives Margaret a healing potion that brings him back from the day. The two get married in a ceremony that lasts nine days and nine nights.

Brave Margaret: an Irish adventure is based on a West Irish folktale translated from Gaelic. Unlike most folk and fairy tales, here the female character is a true heroine, a strong, independent woman who saves others instead of being saved. She is a red woman with hair the color of burnished copper—red being the color of passion and determination. She is her own boss, and her relationship with her male counterparts is one of equality. She takes care of her own farm and does not shy away from hard work such as help row the ship. While most female characters cry in face of adversity, she grabs a sword and kills the dragon. The watercolor illustrations add emotion to the story, and the colors convey the mood of each scene. Sometimes dark and dreary, sometimes fiery red, other times lively green, the illustrations use varying perspective to enhance the action in the story. This is a great book for those looking for a female character that does more than play the part of damsel in distress. show less

This is an Irish folktale about a heroine named Margaret who sets off in search of adventure. Great example of a strong female lead. I love when authors write about women who save men. Why is this such a strange concept? The whole damsel in distress thing bugs me. This would be a great book for a folklore unit. I would also use this to discuss theme (women can be heroes too!) and using context clues to figure out what words mean (words like kine). The UNO Library search lists this book as an interest level of K-3 but I'm not sure I agreed with that. I'd use it all the way to high school.

Brave Margaret is an Irish folktale that has been retold by authors and storytellers. Margaret, the main character, lives a simple live raising cows on a country farm. One day she encounters a prince named Simon who is seeking supplies for a long journey he is preparing for. Margaret offers him her cows in exchange to join his crew. Although he is hesitant, he agrees and the two fall in love. During a great sea storm and a battle with a sea serpent, they are separated. Margaret seeks shelter and solace from an older woman living in the forest. Inside her house is a beautiful sword and ring that belong to the one destined to defeat the giant who took the woman's property. To her surprise, Margaret is reunited with Simon, and he vows to show more destroy the giant to set Margaret free. After his failed attempt, Margaret discovers the ring fits her perfectly and realizes she is destined for this task. She sets off and defeats the giant, allowing the woman to return home. She uses her healing water to revive Simon in order to thank Margaret. The two marry and live a happy life together.

I thought this tale was a beautiful story of feminism, and it is one that I would love to read to my class. It reminds me of an article I read the other day that mentioned how men are featured more as heroes versus women being seen as heroines. I think this story would be a great way to implement female leads into a classroom. show less

A vivid, breathtaking adventure that is stunningly illustrated. Not only that, but the story is everything you would ever want. It's a story of an independent woman who meets an independent man and, because life can't be perfect, who both come into contact with an independent giant. If you can pick it up somewhere, I highly recommend it.