Step sister by Jennifer Donnelly
Hot Key Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781471407970.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fairy tale retelling,
Stepsisters, Bullying, Redemption, Feminism. I'm very fond of the
retelling of fairy tales and this one kept me reading to finish it
in a couple of sittings. Award winning author Donnelly takes the
reader on an engrossing tour examining what happens to Cinderella's
step family after she leaves to marry the prince. Isabelle, one of
the ugly stepsisters, had cut off her toes in an effort to win the
hand of the prince and now finds it difficult to walk, while the
whole family has been shunned by the villagers who taunt them for
what they did to Cinderella. Meanwhile the Fates have mapped out a
path for Isabelle, one that Chance their rival is determine to
change. Tanaquill, the fairy queen also becomes involved in
Isabelle's life and offers her the chance to find the three missing
pieces of her heart, granting her one wish and hereon her life begin
to change. Isabelle believes that being pretty is the most important
thing that she could wish for and begins a journey to find her
heart, on the way learning that her strengths of bravery and
fearlessness are ones worth having.
Donnelly confronts society's view of what a young woman should be
like as Isabelle meets danger, and with daring and cunning overcome
much adversity. Her descriptions of how Isabelle was ridiculed for
her 'ugly' appearance and her fierce fighting ability and Tavi, her
sister, for her intelligence and scholarly interests will resonate
with readers who will relish the girls' gradual transformation from
a pair trying to be beautiful and fit a mould into doing what they
do best, even if it is not what their mother or many men judge fit
for young women.
Although a fairly lengthy book, (469 pages), short chapters and
snappy dialogue make this an easy to read story and the reader will
quickly identify with Isabelle as she struggles with how she has
behaved with Ella, her sorrow about losing Felix and her horse Nero
and her triumphant coming of age.
Pat Pledger