Stepsister

by Jennifer Donnelly

Although they were once all close, Isabelle de la Paumé and her sister Tavi... read more

Although they were once all close, Isabelle de la Paumé and her sister Tavi have been unkind, even cruel to their stepsister Ella in recent years, but life has not been kind to them, either. They are the “ugly” stepsisters whose interests— military history for Isabelle, math and science for Tavi—and bold, stubborn natures have seen them sorely criticized. Now Ella is off to a happily-ever-after life with the Prince. As for Isabelle? While her past is full of loss and regret, her future has already been determined by the three Fates, until Chance bets them he can change it for the better. As Chance and one of the Fates maneuver for control of Isabelle’s future, Isabelle, presumably white, has an encounter with the faerie queen Tanaqill (aka Ella’s fairy godmother), who gives her the means to change her life on her own by rediscovering what she truly loves. This sideways, feminist retelling of Cinderella follow’s Isabelle’s quest, which is as much emotional journey as rousing adventure involving her lost love for a horse, a young man, and her stepsister Ella, not to mention her passion and skill as a strategist and fighter. (Age 12 and older)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2020

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