embodied by the first, second, and third wave of feminist princess stories; patriarchy and tradition are represented by Disney Studios' princess stories. All of these stories influenced their readers, some of whom grew up to write their own princess stories, stories that reflected and - they hoped - furthered their ideological goals. Princess stories of the early 2000s are compelling in that they tensely balance romance and feminist assumptions. Anyone interested in folklore studies, feminist studies, children's literature, Disney studies, film adaptations, psychology, sociology, or theories of child development will find The Princess Story: Modeling the Feminine in Twentieth-Century American Fiction and Film essential reading. When contemplating the changes made by feminists to American culture, no one figure is as worth examining as the fictional princess, and no book has yet approached the topic as thoroughly as this one.