"Duggan does not aim merely to supplement the narrative of males writers with a few women at the margins. Rather, she seeks to shift the mainstream. . . . [She] shows that we should regard the conteuses not as incidental curiosities, exhumed then quickly forgotten, but as princesses of literary history who were never really lost at all."

Times Literary Supplement

 "'Excavating History,' to create The Lost Princess has led Duggan to some remarkable origins and aspects of some Fairy Tales. We accept a Cinderella who patiently puts up with drudgery and abuse and is rewarded in the end with the prince’s hand and heart. But in earlier versions of this tale, Cinderella was merciless to her stepmother and not very forgiving of her stepsisters. There is plenty of bloodshed and revenge in these tales with this not so meek character. Duggan has looked at tales from many countries and has spared no detail to bring us the truth. Women from the beginning have been the story tellers and these early women remain unacknowledged until now."

Blue Wolf Reviews

"Excavating history can lead to stunning discoveries, and Duggan brilliantly demonstrates how several talented and determined French women wrote tales that belong to our classical legacy without our realizing it. History, as Duggan indicates, speaks truth to power through these tales, but we must first learn how to untangle history to grasp what truth may mean. Duggan shows that these rebellious French women had, long before other European and North American writers, created dazzling stories that challenged male patriarchy."

Jack Zipes, professor emeritus of German and comparative literature, University of Minnesota

"Drawing on decades of research, Duggan is a wise, brave, witty guide to fairy-tale history. The Lost Princess demonstrates that smart, resourceful heroines abound in the French tales of past centuries. The brilliant women who wrote those tales challenged patriarchal norms in ways that continue to resonate today."

Jennifer Schacker, School of English and Theatre Studies, University of Guelph, and author of "National Dreams: The Remaking of Fairy Tales in Nineteenth-Century England"