Synopses & Reviews
A powerful retelling of Sleeping Beauty that is “heartbreaking and heartwarming.”An American Library Association “100 Best Books for Teens”
An American Library Association “Best Books for Young Adults”
Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemmas stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemmas astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope.
Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen attended Smith College and then received a Master's in Education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Yolen also composes songs and is a professional storyteller on the stage. She lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts, and St. Andrews, Scotland.An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
A 1992 Nebula Nominee
This celebrated fantasy novel offers a new and insightful version of the German folktale of the Briar Rose, also known as the Sleeping Beauty story. In Yolen's graceful, historically sensitive retelling, the fable is set amid forests patrolled by the German army during World War II. Confronting the deeply tragic events of the Holocaust, Yolen employs lyrical prose and rich characterizations to communicate a tale of good and evil, light and darkness, hope and despair. As The Washington Post observed: "[This is] a terrifically moving story of the Holocaust, one that finds hope and bravery behind the barbed wire and reminds us of love's power to heal even the most terrible and enduring wounds . . . Briar Rose takes on the timeless quality of a true myth, with its depiction of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the face of nearly incomprehensible evil." "[A work of] surpassing feeling and resonance . . . Yolen has given the fairy tale a life far more real, more poignant, than anything the Disney wizards could possibly achieve."Analog
"A compact knockout of a novel . . . Recommended."Feminist Bookstore News
"Utterly superb."Interzone
"Yolen is a national treasure. Briar Rose is an exquisite and heartrending story that fulfills the promise of the finest fairy tales: truth, pain, and entertainment."Greg Bear
"Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, Yolen's novel is a compelling reminder of the Holocaust as well as a contemporary tale of secrets and romance."Booklist
"One of [the Fairy Tale series'] most ambitious efforts, and only a writer as good as Yolen could bring it off. Yolen takes the story of Briar Rose (commonly known as Sleeping Beauty) and links it to the Holocausta far-from-obvious connection that she makes perfectly convincing . . . She handles a difficult subject with finesse in a book that should be required reading for anyone who is tempted to dismiss fantasy as a frivolous genre."Publishers Weekly
Review
“Terrifically moving.” —
The Washington Post“Yolen takes the story of Briar Rose and links it to the Holocaust—a far from obvious connection that she makes perfectly convincing...Only a writer as good as Yolen could bring it off.” —Publishers Weekly
“Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, Yolens novel is a compelling reminder of the Holocaust as well as a contemporary tale of secrets and romance.”—Booklist
“Showcases Yolens skill at transforming the real world into a realm of fantasy.” —Library Journal
Synopsis
The tale of Sleeping Beauty vividly and imaginatively re-told in one of the darkest moments in human history. One of America's most celebrated writers tells the tale of Sleeping Beauty afresh, set this time in forests patrolled by the Nazi army during World War II. A young American journalist is drawn to Europe and to the past as she investigates the mystery of her grandmother's life. From her grandmother she inherited a silver ring, a photograph, and the traditional tale of Briar Rose: clues that will ultimately lead her to a distant land and an astonishing revelation of death and rebirth. The story of the Holocaust, like the story of Sleeping Beauty, is indeed familiar--yet such is a master storyteller's skill that along the way we learn the tale anew. This is a tale of life and death, love and hate, despair and redemption.
Synopsis
A powerful retelling of Sleeping Beauty that is "heartbreaking and heartwarming."An American Library Association "100 Best Books for Teens"
An American Library Association "Best Books for Young Adults"
Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma's stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma's astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope.
Synopsis
Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma's stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma's astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope. A Tor Teen edition of the modern classic by critically-acclaimed author Jane Yolen.
About the Author
Born and raised in New York City,
Jane Yolen now lives in Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Nowegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille.