Always enjoy a good fairy tale, enter into the world of
Shannon Hale’s rewriting of the Grimm Fairy Tale story of The Goose Girl. While the RA
suggested the short version, I went all out and read the elongated
version. The story of the heir-apparent
to the throne, Crown
Princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee (nicknamed Ani) of Kildenree, and how
she is relegated to a far-away land by her mother before she ascends as the
ruler of her country because she and others fear her strange abilities to speak
to animals (that she learned from her aunt). Her mother gives her daughters
hand in marriage to the son of a King in a neighboring country (Bayern), though
45 days by travel. On her trip, which
she takes her handsmaid, Selia, Ani learns that Selia has double crossed her
and plans to overthrow the princess as they get closer to the Bayern with the
help of one of the men leading the travel team, Ungolad, a traitor who falls in
love with Selia. Ungolad’s men kill most
of the other men helping to transport Ani.
Ani is able to run away before she is killed and hides in a
countrywomen’s home. She fears that the
other men who helped transport her, including Talone, who tried to defend her,
are all killed. She attempts to hide her
identity as Selia makes her move to pretend she is the princess. Ani goes unnoticed as the new “goose girl”
for the King of Bayern. Ani befriends
all of the working people for the King at the farm and they come back to help
her to overthrow Selia. Of course there
is a mistaken identity of whom the “prince” really is and Ani falls in love
with him, though thinking he is a stable-hand.
In the end Selia’s plan is revealed before the death of Ani and her
friends. Well, it is a fairy tale,
right? And of course the princess learns of the identity of the prince, whom
she already loved! And of course,
Selia’s fate is not a happy one…. A nice story, engaging and great for that 7-8
year old, or dreamy young adult looking to return to never, never land! Pick it up when you are feeling nostalgic
about your youth.
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