It always used to be Heidi, probably because I had a rose-tinted view of her life on the mountain, out in the fresh air all day and eating huge hunks of bread and cheese.
But I have a recent new hero - Asta from Sally Magnusson's book, The Sealwoman's Gift. Kidnapped by Barbary pirates from her home in Iceland in 1627, and taken to a completely new life in Algiers. She's a strong, capable woman, who adapts to her new circumstances without once losing her sense of justice and fighting spirit, not to mention her fierce love for her family.