Feminist Fables for the Twenty-First Century

Book excerpt: This compendium of fables in visual form features women negotiating different types of gender-based violence and inequity in various cultures worldwide. Five graphic narratives expose such issues as femicide, child molestation and female genital mutilation without defining the affected women and girls by their unfortunate circumstances. Highlighting the power of intelligence, humor and decency and the willingness of people to work together to effect social change, these fables--each presented bilingually in English and the protagonist's native language of Spanish, German, Arabic or Swahili--transcend boundaries of gender, race, language and geography without ignoring differences. Subtle ink washes, brilliant colors and detailed crosshatching distinguish the acclaimed magical realist artwork through which the stories unfold.