by Gregory Maguire
reviewed by Marta Maynes
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire is a tale about life, love, and adaptation. As a clever retelling of the age-old story “Cinderella”, Maguire weaves ideas and obstacles from the book we grew up reading into her own story. Although there is no magic, fairy godmothers, or glass slippers, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is sure to grab readers’ attention and strike them with nostalgia from their youth.
Maguire’s novel is set in the perspective of the “ugly stepsister”, Iris. Iris’ mother, Margarethe, and sister, Ruth, escape from England and venture to Holland. They arrive in Holland indignant and are left to scrounge the streets for morsels to tide their hunger. They soon meet the Master who agrees to let them stay if they work for him. After staying with the Master, Iris, Ruth, and Margarethe take residence with the Van den Meer family. After serious problems occur within the household, and Mrs.Van den Meer dies, Margarethe becomes the mother to a beautiful teenage girl, Clara. Because of the death of Clara’s mother, the status of the family greatly decreases, and the fortitude of the girls is put to the test. With a promising ball approaching, will one of the girls be able to marry the Prince and regain stability for the family?
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a realistic fable that ties life and love together and empowers women to overcome the hardships they endure.
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