Ben Marcus's books The Age of Wire and String and Notable American Women were considered "experimental" fiction because of his unconventional use of...
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Carolyn Turgeon has a gift for imagining magical worlds. Her new novel for teens, The Next Full Moon (Dowtown Bookworks), begins as 12-year-old Ava is looking forward to a lazy summer. And everything is going beautifully — until Ava begins to grow feathers. Horrified, she hides out in her bedroom, clad in a hoodie, longing for her dead mother, and worrying about her freakish life. Then, Ava discovers an other-worldly place that belongs to the Swan Maidens, one of whom is Ava's mother.
Lil is an old woman who spends her days shelving rare books in a tiny Manhattan bookstore and lonely nights at home in her apartment. But Lil has an intriguing secret. Tucked and bound behind her back are white feathery wings — the only key to who she once was: the fairy godmother responsible for getting Cinderella to the ball to unite with her Prince Charming.
But on that fateful night, something went terribly and beautifully wrong. Lil allowed herself the unthinkable: to feel the emotions of human beings and fall in love with the prince herself, going to the ball in place of Cinderella in her exquisitely gorgeous human guise. For her unforgivable mistake, she was banished to live among humans, far from her fairy sisters and their magical underwater world. But then one day she meets Veronica — a young, fair-skinned, flame-haired East Village beauty with a love of all things vintage and a penchant for falling in love with the wrong men — and suddenly it becomes clear to Lil that she's been given a chance at redemption. If she can find a soul mate for Veronica, she may right her wrong and return to the fairy world she so deeply longs for....
Synopsis:
An atmospheric twist on the tale of Cinderella, this work centers on the dark yet enchanting back story of the Fairy Godmother.
Synopsis:
Carolyn Turgeon is the author of Rain Village, She is working on her third book about a mermaid. Visit her website and blog at carolynturgeon.com.
JHolden955, June 12, 2009 (view all comments by JHolden955)
What if the version of Cinderella that has been passed down through the years wasn't quite right? Perhaps the fairy godmother was constantly tested by her strong feelings for all things human.
Lil is an old woman now, ekeing out a small life for herself in Manhattan, working at a bookstore, and always thinking of the past--her sister and best friends. At night, she goes home alone to her apartment, sinks into a hot bath and lets her wings unfurl. Lil, you see, is that fairy who was destined to get Cinderella and the prince together, but something went terribly wrong.
Now, with sadness and old age surrounding her, Lil begins to have a sense of urgency about her purpose among all these humans. Enter the luminous Veronica, the girl Lil believes will fulfill her destiny. The ball is a charity gala, the prince is Lil's boss, George, and Veronica will do nicely as the Cinderella stand-in.
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Cathy from Olympia, Washington, June 11, 2009 (view all comments by Cathy from Olympia, Washington)
I was looking forward to reading this and did enjoy the book, though I had a hard time getting into it. I am glad I finished reading it. The book isn't at all what I expected-- I'll just say this was more "deep" than anticipated and leave it at that. (I don't want to spoil the book for anyone by revealing details!) The book frequently cuts back and forth in time, from present day New York to centuries before when Lil was a fairy commissioned to get Cinderella to the ball. It's perhaps the most unique take on the Cinderella story that I've ever seen before, and I can envision this being an excellent book group pick-- Godmother would be certain to generate a lot of discussion! (And, indeed, the last 3 pages are a reading group guide). All in all, a well written, thought-provoking book.
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kona15hilo, May 9, 2009 (view all comments by kona15hilo)
I have not had the opportunity to read this book yet, but very much would like to do so. But from all the reviews I have read this sounds like a wonderful twist on a great fairy tale. I would like to learn more about Lil and her life after she was supposed to send Cinderella to the ball. I can't imagine where she had a chance to really meet Prince Charming and fall in love with him. It will be interesting to find out if she is able to redeem herself by helping someone else that seems to get herself into bad relationships. Let's hope things work out for her!!
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"Synopsis"
by Ingram,
An atmospheric twist on the tale of Cinderella, this work centers on the dark yet enchanting back story of the Fairy Godmother.
"Synopsis"
by Ingram,
Carolyn Turgeon is the author of Rain Village, She is working on her third book about a mermaid. Visit her website and blog at carolynturgeon.com.
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