Today’s featured essay was written by Sara Campbell-Ogilvie, 53, who is inspired by Hollywood’s greatest leading lady of the 1940’s, Greer Garson.  The British-born actress was most popular during the Second World War and received seven Academy Award nominations in her lifetime, winning Best Actress for her famous role as Mrs. Miniver in 1942.  Here is Sara’s compelling essay about her personal connection to the star, who she says reminds her of May Bailey from Wind at My Back.

Samantha Johnson chose author Maud Hart Lovelace as the greatest historical woman of inspiration in her own life.  Enjoy her essay below, in which Samantha describes how Maud fueled her desire to become a writer.  Maud's famous Betsy-Tacy series of novels (pictured above) were first published in the late 1930's.  Stay tuned for future posts from Sullivan Entertainment fans about the most inspiring women in history.

Each day, we’ll be posting a different “Woman of Inspiration” essay that was sent to us for our End of Summer Essay Contest.  Today’s piece was written by Kayla Hills, 20, who chose to tell the story of Fanny Crosby, who more than overcame the tragic loss of her sight.  Enjoy her very persuasive piece!

To choose one moving story over another equally impressive opinion piece on “the most inspiring woman” was a difficult task for the judges of our "End of Summer Essay Contest".  But we have chosen two final winners, as well as two runners-up – and all four of their pieces are posted below.

A recent article in the Ottawa Citizen posted a brief list of the most famous modern redheads, starting with Anne Shirley in 1908, when Anne of Green Gables was first published. Here is their brief list:

Four little chests all in a row,
Dim with dust, and worn by time,
All fashioned and filled, long ago,
By children now in their prime.

No matter how much time passes since Charlotte Bronte first wrote her epic novel, Jane Eyre, no one loses interest in the plight of her steadfast heroine, Jane.  But what if the tables were turned and we could judge the story from another viewpoint?  In her 1966 novel, Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys did what nobody else thought to do before: take the reader inside the mind of the madwoman in the attic.

“Henceforth the leaves of the tree of knowledge were for women, and for the healing of the nations.” ~ Lucy Stone

Having recently discussed some of the most memorable mothers in fiction, it seemed fitting to turn the tables and speak about women who actually lived.  Here is a list of ten famous mothers, from the Middle Ages to now, who have impacted the world with their intellect, power and selflessness.  Please add to the list!

When venturing to form a list of the most famous, virtuous mothers in literature, I thought I would have an easy task.  Some easily sprang to mind – the aggravating, yet loveable, Mrs. Bennet, the stoic matriarch of the March family, Marmee, and the soft-tempered farmer’s wife, Caroline Ingalls.

Though she faced a formidable lineup of female competitors in Sullivan Entertainment’s Classical Heroine Contest, there was never any doubt in the minds of her fans that Anne Shirley could and should win the ultimate title.