Book Description

"Enchanting. [Hale] adds such depth and scope.…In layer upon layer of detail a beautiful coming-of-age story emerges." —The New York Times Book Review

"A magical retelling of the Grimms' fairy tale. Hale's retelling is a wonderfully rich one, full of eloquent description and lovely imagery. Fans of high fantasy will be delighted with this novel." —starred review, School Library Journal

"[An] affecting debut novel. Those who enjoy getting lost in an enchanted world will discover here a satisfying and richly embellished retelling of a classic that communicates values still pertinent to contemporary readers." —Publishers Weekly

"By all means, share this book with youngsters -- that's what the cover says you should do, and they'll thank you for it. (Including boys, if they're sturdy enough to read a tale that stars a girl -- I always was.) But don't use a lack of children as an excuse for not reading it yourself. This is a novel that is every bit as good for adults as for children -- or better, because we will recognize that in the real world, too, such honor is both rare and sorely needed." "—Orson Scott Card, New York Times best-selling author