Retelling of a Grimm’s fairy tale. This was one I did not know- I thought I had read it before (the original) but found it online and it wasn’t familiar to me. So I doubly enjoyed reading this novelization of the story, with a lot of rich detail – though it was almost too much for my head (sigh). I could only read a chapter or two at a time, it took me over a week, interspersed with a few lighter reads. The main girl was a princess, betrothed to a prince from the neighboring kingdom. On the journey to her new home, her companion and lady-in-waiting turns false, taking over with backing by some of the guards also turned traitor. The real princess flees for her life, and the lady-in-waiting shows up at the new castle wearing her clothes, pretending in every way to be the princess herself. So the real princess goes into hiding, working as an assistant to the boy who tends the king’s flock of geese. She hides her hair and mimics the local accent to blend in. She feels at a loss how to prove her rightful place and stand up to the lady who impersonated her, as the lady-in-waiting (and others in power) have a gift of speaking that makes all do what they say- convincing words and phrases, even down to the tone of voice. The real princess has no such gift, but she does have other strengths which she discovers and builds upon, during her time as a goose girl. Much happens, and when she does eventually make her way up to the castle to claim her rightful place, she has the support of many new friends, a budding love to rekindle, and a war to stop. It all seems impossible, but of course comes right in the end (not without a big battle in the castle though). There was a bit more politicking kind of stuff in the story than I usually care for, that might be one reason why this felt so long. It did seem to drag on and on, with one bad thing after another happening to the princess-in-hiding, but it also could be that my focus was a bit poor and maybe I just wasn’t up to this kind of read yet. I was upset at what happened to her horse by the way, very upset- but found out later that was part of the original tale also! And the gift of speaking with birds. Which I thought was woven in quite nicely, also the explanations and world-building so well done.
Rating: 3/5
383 pages, 2003
