Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel [Paperback]

“An arresting hybrid of mystery, fairy tale, and historical novel. . . .Confessions of an Ugly Stepsisterisn’t easy to classify or forget.” —Detroit Free Press

We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty . . . and what curses accompanied Cinderella’s exquisite looks? Set against the rich backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris’s path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household—and the treacherous truth of her former life.

Far more than a mere fairy tale, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel of beauty and betrayal, illusion and understanding, reminding us that deception can be unearthed—and love unveiled—in the most unexpected of places.

[An] engrossing story...endearing and memorable. -Boston Herald

A beguiling reconstruction of the Cinderella story...Maguires sophisticated story-telling reimagines age-old themes and folklore-familiar characters...a vision that fantasy lovers will find hard to resist. -Publishers Weekly

A tale so movingly told that you will say at the end of the first reading, Its been a long time since Ive read a book this good. For philosophical depth and lively evocative language, few writers match Gregory Maguire. -Nashville Tennessean

Captivating and beautifully written...Confessions is a rich clc7