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Ripening

Why Women Need Fairy Tales Now

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Ripening

By: Sharon Blackie
Narrated by: Sharon Blackie
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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'Fairy tales matter because at the heart of every one of them is transformation.'

In a world in which all the old certainties seem to be crumbling, it's hard not to feel we have lost our way. In Ripening, Sharon Blackie insists that fairy tales are precisely the stories we need for such times.

Long before they became bywords for people-pleasing princesses, these old stories – passed down to us through generations by our peasant ancestors – told us everything that women need to learn about the world. They might be set in difficult and dangerous times, but they require their heroines to face the unfaceable and dig deep for previously unimagined inner resources. They teach us to be savvy, inspire us to grow in confidence, show us how to be bold and claim the future we dream of.

More than anything, fairy tales are soul-food. They show us how to take hold of our own personal narratives and transform them into stories that might begin with trauma, but end with empowerment. They offer us images of startling resonance and beauty, whilst showing us how to recognise and make use of the possibilities that rise to the surface when broken systems are cracked open.

©2026 Sharon Blackie (P)2026 Duckworth Books Gender Studies Personal Development Personal Success Self-Esteem Social Sciences Women Fiction Fantasy Magic
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This book is life changing for those of us struggling to accept our own life stories. It has given me a starting point for coming to terms with my difficulties.

Beautiful and inspiring

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I loved it all. It spoke to make as a woman in midlife. Superb insightful.

So thought provoking

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Unexpected book for me, was just browsing and I liked the description. I have even picked up Grimms fairy tales again to revisit all the tales I read as I child. This book enticed me with the childhood tales but also is helping me revisit where I am in my own life and what I am happy with and what I need to think of changing. I think I will buy this again in paper, and have recommended to alot of my friends.

loved this

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This book takes you on a magical journey of understanding yourself, intra- and interpersonally through fairy tales and what we can learn from them about facing challenge and adversity. I loved this book. I think I probably need to get myself a hard copy so I can take some time to reflect on it properly, particularly to follow her reflection points at the end of each chapter, because I was listening to it mostly on my work commute. I was really interested in her exploration of all the other characters in fairytales and how she blended these with them stages of womanhood. And although I listened to it for myself, I was surprised at its applicability as a therapist who integrates Narrative Therapy into my work. I’m going to come back to this!

Loved this

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I absolutely loved this book. Sharon Blackie shows us why fairytales make excellent companions for all the stages of our lives. She weaves personal stories, psychology and wonderful moments from fairytales in a book thar helps us face our own challenging situations. The reflection questions and ideas for working with fairytales were relevant and thought provoking. Her steady voice in the narration was wonderfully paced and easy to listen to.

Stories that walk with you

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