Hope. Resilience. Strength. These are the words I think of when I see Leia Organa on screen. Whether she is a princess or a general, she's always putting her personal tragedy behind her and fighting for what's right. This week I finished reading Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray and couldn't have been more impressed with the story and writing. Claudia has written several other Star Wars books including Lost Stars and Bloodline that I'll be getting to in the next few months. I recently reviewed this book on The Dorky Diva Show, but there were so many good quotes that stuck with me. Rather than spouting them off on the podcast, I thought it would be better to put them here and talk about what they mean to me.
If you're unfamiliar with the book, the story is about Leia Organa at the age of sixteen. She's declaring her right as the heir of Alderaan and ends up joining the Rebellion along the way. All of these quotes are
pulled directly from the book, but I avoided any lines that were
spoiler-filled. If you haven't read this book, I want you to have the same
moments of surprise that I experienced in each chapter. Enjoy!
"Nobody learns
anything new without failing the first few times they try. You have to
face that and figure out how to get back up again. That means learning how to
fail is the most important lesson of all." -Kier
One of the first lessons I learned while interning in
college was to "fail fast" and get right back up from it. I think
this is a great lesson to teach young people, especially considering this is a
young adult novel. As a teen I remembered how much pressure I put on myself to
do well in school and never get a failing grade. In end though, it's important
to realize that it's okay to fail and that when you do fail, the most important
lesson is to learn from it and move on.
"Leia has had her
Day of Demand. She's growing into an adult-- a representative of the next
generation. And make no mistake, they're the generation who will bear
the brunt of what's to come. They're the ones who'll do most of the
fighting and most of the dying. They're the ones who will do most of the
rebuilding afterward, if we are so fortunate to see an 'after.' We need
the young with us. Without them, this war is lost before it's begun." -Mon
Mothma
Wow. Wow. Wow. I love how this quote reflects our world
right now. It's important for young people to know and be reminded that they
are the ones who can change the world. I love how Mon Mothma declares the trust
she has in Leia and knows how mature young people can be, even at the age of
sixteen. This speaks volumes to Leia's character in the Star
Wars saga. She was the thread that kept the Rebellion together and continued to
fight for it all the way into the times of the First Order. At a young age, she
was capable of making important decisions that forever shaped the future of the
galaxy.
"My parents. My friends.
My world. These are the things the Empire can never take away." -Leia
If you've seen Episode IV and know the fate of Alderaan,
this quote will send chills down your spine. How sad is it that Leia felt the
Empire couldn't take away those three things from her, yet it ultimately took
each one. While the Empire may have physically taken her parents, friends, and
world from her, I admire that Leia always holds those things dear to her heart
in spirit.
"I trust you with my
life. But I don't trust the Empire with yours." -Bail Organa to Leia
Do you remember in Rogue One how Bail said he knew someone
that he trusted with his life to help the Rebellion? Man, that got me. I love
his devotion to his daughter.
"Don't do that. If
you're one trying to be the opposite of a thing, you're still letting
that thing define you." -Leia to Amilyn Holdo
Amilyn Holdo is obviously all about eccentric hair, dresses,
and accessories. While she was trying to be the total opposite of the norm at
Gatalenta, I love how Leia kindly called her out. It's okay to do your own
thing and dress however you want, but don't do it just to be the opposite of
something.
She'd also hurried after
one YT-model ship that had looked promisingly run-down and probably in need of
money for repairs, but it took off before she could even reach it.
This isn't a direct quote from a character, but it's a line
from the book that made me smile. I love thinking that this was potentially the
Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo, Leia's future husband, that she saw in a
distance. Maybe it's a small world after all.
Leia had spent the past
few months trying to prove she was an adult. But she wasn't this grown-up yet.
She wasn't this hard or this tough. When she broke down, she fell apart,
completely, as she hadn't since she was a child and rarely would again.
I omitted the rest of this section to avoid any spoilers,
but again this just displays how tough Leia is even when she breaks down. She
knows it's okay to grieve and be sad sometimes. That's a natural and healthy
part of life. I love that she allowed herself to break down and have a moment
of sadness when she needed it most. We all need those moments sometimes.
There are so many more
quotes and lines from the book that I could discuss here, but I wanted to keep
this post spoiler-free so everyone can enjoy the book the same way I did. If
you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend checking it out! Claudia Gray's
writing style is unlike anything I've read before. She's an incredible author
and I can't wait to read her other Star Wars books soon. Did you read Leia, Princess of Alderaan? What was your favorite quote from the book?
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