Podkayne

Podkayne
from Podkanyne of Mars by Robert A. Heinlein
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The only one of Heinlein's spunky, feisty young-adult female characters to be the protagonist of her own novel (Podkayne of Mars), rather than the foil for a male main character, Podkayne often makes real women feel slightly insane. You can't help but admire her drive, and her desire to be a starship captain, but at the same time she has the Heinlein woman's irresistible drive to a) be a parent, and b) be a "girl," fantasizing about dancing with a starship officer, "knowing" that she will give up her career for her babies eventually.

In the unedited version of the novel, released after Heinlein's death, Podkayne dies at the end. In the version originally published, she is rescued from the clutches of evil kidnappers by her kid brother, Clark, who is humanized by her death/near death in both versions. The fact that she has to die or come close to death to "save" her selfish younger brother is symptomatic of Heinlein's evaluation of women.