Gregory Maguire, critically acclaimed author of Wicked, returns with his eagerly anticipated second novel. Using a dazzling reincarnation of the Cinderella story set in 17th century Holland, Maguire deftly weaves together stories of inner and outer beauty. Iris is a plain but intelligent young girl. Forced to flee England with her recently widowed mother, Margarethe, and her older sister, she finds herself swept into a life that becomes a legend. Arriving destitute, the family becomes employed in the home of a wealthy tulip merchant. Margarethe is hired as the housekeeper and Iris as a companion to the merchant's stunningly beautiful but troubled daughter. When the merchant's wife dies, Margarethe seizes the moment, and a wicked stepmother is born. Narrated with spirit and warmth by Jenny Sterlin, Gregory Maguire's vision of Cinderella is a sweeping story of love and deception, where a ball, a handsome prince and the betrayal of a daughter can lead to everyone living happily ever after.
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“Gregory Maguire’s chilling, wonderful retelling of Cinderella is a study in contrasts. Love and hate, beauty and ugliness, cruelty and charity—each idea is stripped of its ethical trappings, smashed up against its opposite number, and laid bare for our examination.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review
“[An] engrossing story…endearing and memorable.”
— Boston Herald“[Maguire’s] prose is an inventive blend of historically accurate but zesty dialogue and lyrical passages…a vision that fantasy lovers will find hard to resist.”
— Publishers Weekly“The sophisticated retelling gives the reader new insights into the truths about human motivations within relationships.”
— Library Journal“Full of surprises…Thoughtful YAs will enjoy a new take on a familiar tale, and be thoroughly involved in this historical romp.”
— School Library Journal“[A] superbly woven climax and denouement. A ravishing meditation on the truism that ‘beauty helps preserve the spirit of mankind.’ Maguire is rapidly becoming one of contemporary fiction’s most assured myth-makers.”
— Kirkus ReviewsBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
?Gregory Maguire is an American author of nonfiction and fiction and fantasy for children, young adults, and adults, including the Wicked Years, the first book of which is Wicked—the basis for the major motion picture and Tony Award–winning Broadway musical of the same name. He received his PhD in English and American literature from Tufts University and his BA degree from the State University of New York at Albany. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children’s Literature from 1979-1985.
Jenny Sterlin, winner of several Earphones Awards, has more than ninety audio titles to her credit, including Laurie R. King’s popular Sherlock Holmes / Mary Russell series. Before beginning her narration career, she helped found England’s experimental Living Theatre.