Girl Power

In Piper Pan and Her Merry Band, the Neverland is a place for girls coming into their own—girl power. I love that about my books.

Since you love girl power, too, you must see
“The Eagle Huntress.”

The Eagle Huntress is a documentary. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cheer for our real-live girl hero: 13-year-old Aisholpan.

In the high steppes of Mongolia, the nomadic tribes have an ancient tradition passed from father to son: being an Eagle Hunter. Golden eagles have been used in a sacred partnership by those called to this role, to hunt for foxes—whose meat and fur help the tribe survive the brutal winters. In the same tradition, after 7 years of faithful service the eagle is released into the wilds.

Never before has a girl become an eagle hunter.

Google tells me the average altitude in the Mongolian steppes is 5,000 feet. Aisholpan and her family live adjacent to the Altai mountains—whose highest point is 14,000 feet.

Can you say COLD??????

Ailshopan’s father and mother believe that boys and girls are equal—not the prevailing point of view. It’s truly a lovely and moving thing to watch Aisholpan’s father train her as an eagle huntress. He is endlessly patent, his belief in her unfailing, his willingness to stand for her, unshakable.

Aisholpan’s choice to become an eagle huntress brings her close to her father, and distant from her mother. Her mother is unfailingly generous, stating her daughter need not take after her—she wants Aisholpan to love her life.

Piper Pan wants Aisholpan in her Merry Band!

Parents as complete allies are a rare and wonderful thing!

I won’t spoil the film by telling you how it plays out. Suffice it to say it is a feel-good movie, rated G. It has its suspense, its moments of fear, and plenty of soaring fulfillment.

I know you’ll agree with me that there are few things more moving than watching a young girl come into her own. True girl power is when she gets the support she needs to become who she wants to be.

I got The Eagle Huntress through Netflix, but it’s certainly worthy of any library’s collection. If yours doesn’t own it yet, request it!

Happy girl power viewing!  For the trailer, click here.