In “The Goose Girl,” author Shannon Hale takes a fairy tale we’re all familiar with and gives it a new spin, heightening the adventure, adding in lots of romance, and making it all come alive.
Princess Anidori from the land of Kildenree has a special talent – she can talk to swans. She also has a unique understanding with Falada, her horse – they can hear each other’s thoughts. The people in her land don’t like such things so she keeps her talents a secret, never imagining that someday, they’d come in handy.
A marriage alliance has been proposed between Kildenree and the land over the mountains, Bayern. As the oldest daughter, Anidori has always supposed that she would go on to rule Kildenree as queen, but her mother has other ideas and offers her up as the bride. Having no real choice but to agree, Anidori starts out on her wedding journey through the mountains, with a company of guards and a handmaiden as escort.
Halfway to their destination, the guards mutiny and kill those who remain loyal to Anidori. Selia, the handmaiden, plans to take over the princess’s identity and marry the prince of Bayern herself, and has convinced the guards to follow her. Barely escaping, Anidori makes her way to a cottage, and then to the city, planning to talk to the king of Bayern and explain her plight, but she realizes that Selia has things so arranged, her story will never be believed. She gets a job working for the palace, tending the geese, until the time arrives when she must explain who she really is.
This book really is fabulous. The characterization is great, the suspense is taut and well-crafted, and the romance made my heart go thumpy-thump. While billed as a young adult novel, this one easily translates to adult readers as well.
(This book was published in 2003 by Bloomsbury.)
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