How could I forget World Book Day?! How?!  Something must be wrong in my head…Thankfully, it doesn’t matter that much since I pretty much make it a point to honor books and their influence on my life each and every day. Therefore, it’s never too late to have a little bit of fun!

Over on The Bookie Monsters, Tash shared a short and sweet post about the character she would choose to be (Matilda, FYI which I totally love).  So, why not join in?

If I were any book character I would be:

Jenna from Sister Light, Sister Dark and White Jenna, by Jane Yolen.

If you’ve read any of my (very few) posts, I have mentioned these books multiple times, so this shouldn’t be surprising. They were such a formative part of my youth, especially of my reading identity, or for my entire identity really.

The main reasons I would love to be Jenna are:

First and foremost, she kicks ass.  She is young when this prophecy is thrust upon her, and though she is not necessarily the “go conquer the world” girl, she is about protecting her people and writing the wrongs of the land.  Basically, she’s an Amazonian princess. Think Xena, but less cheesy.

I’ll admit, I wanted to BE Xena as a kid. I didn’t crave the clothes really, but I did love how she was a tough woman beating down all the slimy guys around her. And no, I’ve not turned out to be a man hater.  Perhaps this is why Jenna resonates with me so.  In an all female society, she does not hate men like many around her or become the doting housewife. Yolen makes Jenna into someone who wants, deserves, and ultimately finds an equal partner to fight alongside her, save the kingdom with, and eventually rule with her.

The second reason I would love to be Jenna is because of her shadow sister, her “sister dark,” Skada, who can only appear at night by moonlight or lamplight in the shadows.

This is the magic of the Dales, of the women who raised Jenna, who can call forth these shadow halves. For an only child, it was powerfully alluring.  I always wanted a sister.  To be able to have a partner in crime that is nearly a second skin still sounds wonderful. (I mean, I’ve gotten close with my husband but still…).

Wrap all of this together with the songs, legends, history, and folklore that ties the main tale together, and it is a world I would not mind experiencing.  I’m only sad to see some reviews of these books aren’t that positive (ehem, Goodreads), so maybe it doesn’t hold up that well. But for me, being White Jenna with her sister Skada, is still a dream, and a clear explanation of who I have indeed become in the real world. Yolen made magic happen for me. So Jenna will remain part of my shadow self forever.