This latest from T. Kingfisher is a retelling of the somewhat obscure (because Disney never made a movie of it) fairy tale of the Goose Girl. My familiarity with the Goose Girl story is limited to reading the Wikipedia synopsis before starting this book; it was, as nearly all the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm, dark and bloody. That being said, because I was so familiar with the source, this being a retelling was more or less irrelevant to me. But as a book, this was terrific.
Cordelia is the much-abused daughter of the sorceress Evangeline. She is kept isolated and is thoroughly in her mother’s thrall; literally sometimes, as when her mother feels the need she will puppet Cordelia’s body. Cordelia remains conscious and feeling through this, but can’t exercise any control. Cordelia has never had any other life, and doesn’t really expect anything different. This is just how things are. Her only real joy is her daily rides on her mother’s wonderful, enchanted horse Falada.
However, things take a turn when Evangeline (for reasons unclear) loses the support of the wealthy man who has been providing them with support. So she sets off, with Cordelia in tow, to score another wealthy patron. Long-term, she intends for Cordelia to marry someone even more wealthy so they’ll be set.
The only real hitch in this plan: the man she has her sights set on lives with his middle-aged spinster sister Hester, who immediately recognizes Evangeline as trouble (though not as a sorceress) and Cordelia as, basically, a thoroughly kicked puppy. Hester loves her kind-hearted, well-meaning, and not-overburdened-with-intelligence brother, and doesn’t want Evangeline to get her claws in him. She also wants to help Cordelia. So she starts doing what she can on both fronts.
Cordelia was a wonderful presentation of an abused child of a narcissistic parent. Her reactions to the kindness of strangers, her utter terror of anything upsetting her mother - all very well done. Hester, meanwhile, is 100% over everyone’s shit. I love them both.
The story progressed very well, with some expected twists and some unexpected ones. It also gets rather dark - I’d call this horror-lite. How does this compare to Kingfisher’s other books? No idea, as this was my first of hers, but after reading this I certainly intend to find out.
Comes out on August 6
Commenti