Great adventure book for young readers (and older ones), male and female. Every little girl should read this book. It compensates for all the pink sparkly princess books out there. Born during a terrible thunderstorm, Ronia is headstrong, passionate, wild, and loyal, and when she meets Birk, the son of the rivaling band of robbers, she decides nobody is going to tell her what to think or do. (and no, this is not a love story!)