Danielle Teller

I love Fairy Tale re-tellings and this one did not disappoint. This one is from the POV of the step-mother, who in this version is not so evil. Its also a very well written and obviously well-researched book. Seemingly accurate to the time period (medieval) in its descriptions of things, dialogue and terminology. So much so that I found myself looking up words I didn't know to get the exact definition. Although, if you don't enjoy keeping a dictionary close by, you can still get the gist of things from context clues. On the whole a great story.… (mere)

I love fairy tales, both source material and retellings. This is one of the better, and more unusual, retellings. I appreciated considering Cinderella's story inside a broader historical context. I also found the story so imaginative, and it kept me wondering. For those who enjoy retellings, I would recommend this. There's a melancholy tone for much of the book, but this makes perfect sense given the (limited!) options available to women, especially those of a certain socioeconomic group, at the time. This one actually made me reconsider other fairy tales, too, and it's always a treat when a book stays with me like that, and sparks questions and curiosity.… (mere)