This retelling of Cinderella by Jennifer Donnelly did feel a little dry at the beginning. It tells the story of Cinderella, and what happens next from one of her stepsisters perspectives...
The world building set it in France, in an era were beauty is the most important factor. For Ella's stepsister Isabelle, this is impossible. Reviled by society, she and her mother and sister have been cast out. The story also follows a magician and the Fates, and Isabelle's fate will collide and determine her future.
This book took a while to get started, however once I got into it I couldn't put it down. It was a slightly, I found, comedic take, although that was probably incidental. This is a definitely a feminist retelling, with a clear focus on letting go of society's expectations of a woman.
The world building set it in France, in an era were beauty is the most important factor. For Ella's stepsister Isabelle, this is impossible. Reviled by society, she and her mother and sister have been cast out. The story also follows a magician and the Fates, and Isabelle's fate will collide and determine her future.
This book took a while to get started, however once I got into it I couldn't put it down. It was a slightly, I found, comedic take, although that was probably incidental. This is a definitely a feminist retelling, with a clear focus on letting go of society's expectations of a woman.