Once-(Six Historically Inspired Novels) Book Review
“Six fairy-tales you thought you knew, set against a tapestry of historical backgrounds.”
I dove into this book with mixed feelings. On the one hand I was quite excited to read Elisabeth Grace Foley‘s story that I had been eagerly awaiting for many months.
On the other hand, I tend to gravitate towards old books whenever I’m looking for a fiction book to read. And though there are a handful of modern authors I enjoy tremendously, I tend to shy away from most modern fiction because it is usually lacking in either good craftsmanship, or in good plot/worldviews/morals/meaning/substance/etc.
On top of that, modern “retellings” are not a favorite of mine either, and I tend to be very wary of them. The reason being, that they tend to end up as no more than a watered-down, abridged, emotionalized, or in some cases”sanitized” retelling of what used to be a strong, rich story with good vocabulary and hidden meanings.
I needn’t have worried. 🙂 Each of these six stories was fresh and new, and mostly of top-notch quality. The stories had similarities to the originals, but were far more than your average adaption/retelling. Each one could have stood on it’s own merit and been enjoyed, without leaning on the readers’ knowledge of the tale it was based on.
I enjoyed reading this collection of novellas, they are the perfect length to read in one sitting and full of fun, mystery, revenge, plot twists, and quite a unique look at traditional folk lore.
Now a little bit about each of them individually:
I have a predilection for westerns (as you know if you’ve visited my artist site!), and The Mountain of The Wolf is an excellent little western novella. It’s a retelling of the 10th century folk-story Red Riding-hood, set in the canyons, wide open skies, and dusty lands of the American West. It starts out in a leisurely way, with hints of the ominous purpose of Rosa Jean—a young lady who lives alone up in the mining country. A strange man, Quincy, rides up one day with a hidden agenda, and the suspense builds as his plans interfere with hers…It’s a delightful tale, with a great climax, and one of my favorites in this set.
I was not really fond of the story She But Sleepeth, but I found the historical note at the end fascinating. History and fiction were woven together seamlessly and with such talent, that I had no idea just how much truth there was to the story. The author makes dead royalty so real and alive I thought they were fictitious! And it does makes one want to visit Romania.
Rumpled was quite a change from my usual fare. I’d never read anything in the steam-punk genre, previously, but it was enjoyable and I thought it was far better than the original Rumpelstiltskin story. The ending is certainly more satisfying!  It’s a sweet story of trust broken and webs of deceit woven for personal gain, but the girl’s conscience will not be silent, and her slow-growing love for her husband only accentuates her agony…
Poignant and realistic. That is what describes the story of the girl with matches in A Sweet Remembrance. As an amateur historian, lover of WWII history, and historical reenactor I especially enjoyed this story. It is a story of a war torn country, and of families under Nazi occupation. The author doesn’t mask the sadness or the realness—and it reads like many of the true stories I’ve been told of the hard life during the war. Stories where agony and separation called forth little unexpected deeds of kindness, nobleness and generosity. Where beauty abounded in the midst of ashes and devastation…
Death Be Not Proud is a fast read. One of those fun thriller-mysteries that has you grinning and turning pages as quick as you possibly can. 🙂 I do love a good mystery, and this one was short and satisfying (not to mention that it made me so curious about a certain scientific medical-phenomenon that I just had to research it!). A mystery, an island, and the tale of a prohibition era jazz singer with a dark past….who could ask for anything more? Suzannah Rowntree, the author, said that is was written in homage to Mary Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock. Now, I must confess my ignorance of Mary Stewart, but it does capture the suspense, murder, mystery, and mayhem that makes it reminiscent of the 30’s and 40’s film noir, of which Alfred Hitchcock was the master. Great fun all around!
Rapunzel was never a favorite fairy-tale of mine, but this retelling, With Blossoms Gold, is a fine story of courage, love, heroes, and of conquering the selfish tendencies of isolation and safety—of a girl who challenges herself to strike out with courage and devote her life to others instead of herself. Of denying your feelings in lieu of your duty. It is the most traditional of the six, and takes place among the realms of knights, kings, and castles.
If you are looking for an evening of fun retellings of classic folk lore, take a look at “Once” over on Amazon!