Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

 

Summary (from the publisher): A breathtaking reimagining of Cinderella, as told through the eyes of its iconic "evil" stepmother, revealing a propulsive love story about the lengths a mother will go to for her children.

A widow twice-over, Etheldreda is now saddled with the care of her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, and a razor-taloned peregrine falcon. Her entire life has become a ruse, just like the manor hall they live grand and ornate on the exterior, but crumbling, brick by brick, inside. Fierce in the face of her misfortune, Ethel clings to her family’s respectability, the lifeboat that will float her daughters straight into the secure banks of marriage.

When a royal ball offers the chance to secure the future she desperately desires, Etheldreda must risk her secrets, pride, and limited resources in pursuit of an invitation for her daughters—only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the heir of the kingdom unfolds with unnerving speed, she discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she’s sought for years and the wellbeing of the feckless stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.

As if Bridgerton met Circe, and exhilarating to its core, Lady Tremaine reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world’s most famous fairytale. It is a battle cry for a mother’s love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes.

Review: I am a sucker for fairy tale/myth retellings so when I saw this was Cinderella retelling, I was sold. This story is told from the perspective of the historically reviled stepmother, but through her eyes, we meet a widow who is mourning the loss of her husband and heroically trying to provide for her daughters, including the stepdaughter left to her by her second husband. While based on a fairy tale, this very much reads like compelling historical fiction. 

The crowning joy of this book is Etheldreda herself. I am deeply drawn to stories of strong female main characters who also happen to be middle aged, I think in part because you come across them relatively rarely. Ethel absolutely meets this description. She is so plucky and hardworking and devoted to her family. I love how she sets out with her peregrine falcon to feed her family and refuses to give up even when her beloved husband dies. Or when she's left with a crumbling mansion and no funds to maintain it. She is courageous and willing to do hard things for her daughters. The strong, older female lead in this reminded me a bit of The Frozen River or A Sorceress Comes to Call. 

I deeply appreciated the depth the author lends to this story. Going in, I was skeptical that the author could convince me to be on the stepmother's side. But she entirely flips the story on its head, and I felt such deep empathy for Etheldreda and sympathy for her role as stepmother. I also liked the little details she added to the original story, like her childhood friendship (more like frenemies) who becomes an important person in the plot later on. This novel is such an interesting exploration on motherhood, grief, complex family dynamics, and presents a very feminist retelling of the original Cinderella tale. 

This book has absolutely beautiful prose. The story was a bit slow to unfold, but it was well worth the time investment. Much of the book closely follows the original fairy tale, but the last thirty percent, when the author takes over with her own spin on the original plot, was where the story really stood out. 

Stars: 5