“In her dream she had been walking-she could barely walk yet in her waking life-toddling down a long dark corridor, only vaguely lit by a few candles set too far in their sconces, too high up in the walls. The shadows stretched everywhere round her, and that was terrible enough; and the silence was almost as dreadful as the darkness. But what was worse was that she knew a wicked monster waited for her at the end of the corridor. It was the wickedest monster that had ever lived, and it was waiting just for her, and she was all alone.”
In Rose Daughter, Robin McKinley accomplished what few authors can. She drew from the same inspiration twice, and wrote two completely different books while following the same general storyline. And what’s more, she did an amazing job.
Rose Daughter is Robin McKinley’s second retelling of the classic fairytale, the Beauty and the Beast. Rose Daughter follows the journey of a wealthy merchant’s third and youngest daughter, named Beauty. Although they led a prosperous city life, business ruin brought the unfortunate family to the little village of Longchance, where they had inherited a little cubby of their own, a little house called Rose Cottage entwined within the grasp of a thorny plant. Upon their arrival, the shrubs seemed dead. However, they were not destined to stay that way for long. First, leaves begin to appear, then swelling buds. Finally, on a peaceful spring day, the buds explode all over the garden and Beauty learns that the flowers in her garden are long sought after roses. Roses, the flower that only strong sorcerers can procure. Roses, as a villager told Beauty, were for love. Love which people didn’t have enough of to give them.
When through a series of seemingly unfortunate events, Beauty becomes bound to live in an enchanted castle belonging to a beast, she finds that he has a huge greenhouse of roses. Roses, which are dying.
In Rose Daughter, Robin McKinley spun a wonderful tale of magic, love, and of course, roses. One thing that I find interesting in Rose Daughter is that many people are named after their characteristics. It’s an interesting idea that may seem unfamiliar to us and rather odd, but after reading the book and thinking on it, I think that it’s a really beautiful element to the story that lends to its uniqueness. Because, after all, we really are known by what we do and who we are.
Considerations:
After moving to the country village of Longchance, Beauty’s sister Lionheart cuts her hair and begins to wear boys’ clothes in order to get a job at the Squire’s stables. The way that McKinley wrote this, and the way that Lionheart goes about it isn’t transgenderism or pushing that agenda, but has more of a Jo March flavor to me. In the end, one of the Squire’s sons discovers that the lad Lionheart is really a lass, falls in love with her, and marries her.
What are your favorite fairy tale rewrites? Let me know in the comments along with any suggestions for books I should review!
Moral Value: 4.5
Artistic Value: 5
Overall Value: 4.75
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