Cinderella's Dress By Shonna Slayton Book Review by Miranda Fraser ISBN: 978-1-68281-023-1 I was hesitant to post this under the ‘fairy tale’ genre. If we’re being honest, that’s probably pushing it a bit so just remember to check your YA sections if you go looking for this book. (Which you should!) Now I searched for this book for over a year. I kept telling people, if it’s not at Half Price Books then either it wasn’t popular OR it was so well loved that no one wants to give up their copy. I’m betting it’s the second option. Because I am not giving this book up! This book has been entered into my personal library and my heart. But getting back to my stretch on its genre placement, Cinderella’s Dress is not so much about Cinderella herself, but rather the keeper of the real life Cinderella story and her famous dress.
To begin with, if you know the story of Cinderella you know it’s a basic recipe for happily ever after: a family conflict, some magical items, and love conquering all. Well, that’s still mostly true. Except now we’re in New York City during World War Two and our focus is about a young woman who finds herself in the middle of an ancient family secret, as well as another family’s ancient feud. Go ahead and picture the time frame for WW2- there were rations on everything, women were taking on more jobs in the workforce, the men were bravely fighting for their country, refugees were seeking safety in America, and the last thing anyone still believes in are fairy tales. That is until Kate Allen’s estranged Great Aunt and Uncle came from Poland to escape the war. With them came, a mysterious old trunk, stories of their old country and the addle-minded musings of an old woman who speaks of princesses and family secrets. While this all seems like fanciful dementia, Kate can't help but be drawn to her aunt’s stories, as if they held all the answers she was searching for and didn’t know it. As I said before, this story is about the keeper, not the princess Kopciuszek. As Kate struggles to discover what is the dementia talking and what is a true family secret she goes along with her life as best she can. Her brother yearns to join the military, her father is overseas in the war, her mother tries to make her a fashion icon, and she is distracted by a devilishly handsome young man. And as time progresses she not only believes her aunt’s stories, but also feels drawn to them. Deep inside her, she knows she is the next ‘keeper’ and just like countless generations of women before her, she yearns to take on the job. But a job as serious as being the ‘keeper’ does not come without its share of danger. As I mentioned in the Cinderella story there is family conflict, so would you believe centuries later the descendants of the evil step-sisters are still determined to get the dress and destroy the other side of the family’s happiness? Talk about ancient family feud! And like I said, evil, these descendants will stop at nothing to get what they want. While Kate’s intuition about the family secret grows stronger, she uncovers more clues from her mother’s side of the family. For instance the necklace her grandmother left her before she died, or all the little crafts and symbols her Babcia used to make. And as the danger grows worse, she doesn’t just uncover clues, but also snippets of feuds and betrayals within the ‘Keeper’ family lineage. Kate fears she too will fail, so when the dress she is destined to protect is placed where the enemies are practically holding it in their hands, she draws on her cleverness and loved ones, as well as the mysterious gifts of the dress, to keep it safe. Unusual twists and turns come at the reader quickly as the ending draws near. And while Slayton did not disappoint with a lovely ending that pulled the story together, this can't be the end of our Keeper, can it? SPOILER ALERT THERE IS A SEQUEL!!! *Kopciuszek is Polish for Cinderella *Babcia is Polish for grandmother
0 Comments
|
Fairy Tale Reviews!Fairy Tales are some of the GREATEST treasures we have as humans! I am so excited for these reviews! Archives
October 2022
|