'In an ancient city by the sea, three sisters - a maiden, a mother, and a crone - are drawing maps by candlelight. Sombre, with piercing grey eyes, they are the three Fates, and every map is a human life . . .' Stepsister takes up where Cinderella's tale ends. We meet Isabelle, the younger of Cinderella's two stepsisters. Ella is considered beautiful; stepsister Isabelle is not. Isabelle is fearless, brave, and strong-willed. She fences better than any boy, and takes her stallion over jumps that grown men fear to attempt. ...
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'In an ancient city by the sea, three sisters - a maiden, a mother, and a crone - are drawing maps by candlelight. Sombre, with piercing grey eyes, they are the three Fates, and every map is a human life . . .' Stepsister takes up where Cinderella's tale ends. We meet Isabelle, the younger of Cinderella's two stepsisters. Ella is considered beautiful; stepsister Isabelle is not. Isabelle is fearless, brave, and strong-willed. She fences better than any boy, and takes her stallion over jumps that grown men fear to attempt. It doesn't matter, though; these qualities are not valued in a girl. Others have determined what is beautiful, and Isabelle does not fit their definition. Isabelle must face down the demons that drove her cruel treatment of Ella, challenge her own fate and maybe even redefine the very notion of beauty . . . Cinderella is about a girl who was bullied; Stepsister is about the bully. We all root for the victims, we want to see them triumph. But what about the bullies? Is there hope for them? Can a mean girl change? Can she find her own happily ever after?
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Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $4.06, good condition, Sold by Phatpocket Limited rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham Abbey, ESSEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2019 by Hot Key Books.
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Good. Ships from UK in 48 hours or less (usually same day). Your purchase helps support Sri Lankan Children's Charity 'The Rainbow Centre'. Ex-library, so some stamps and wear, but in good overall condition. 100% money back guarantee. We are a world class secondhand bookstore based in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and specialize in high quality textbooks across an enormous variety of subjects. We aim to provide a vast range of textbooks, rare and collectible books at a great price. Our donations to The Rainbow Centre have helped provide an education and a safe haven to hundreds of children who live in appalling conditions. We provide a 100% money back guarantee and are dedicated to providing our customers with the highest standards of service in the bookselling industry.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $5.04, very good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2019 by Hot Key Books.
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Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $5.04, good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2019 by Hot Key Books.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Ex-Library Book. Has usual library markings and stamps inside. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $6.99, very good condition, Sold by Brit Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milton Keynes, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2019 by Hot Key Books.
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Very good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $7.99, good condition, Sold by Jenson Books Inc rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Logan, UT, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $7.99, fair condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
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Fair. Used book-May contain writing notes highlighting bends or folds. Text is readable book is clean and pages and cover mostly intact. May show normal wear and tear. Item may be missing CD. May include library marks. Fast Shipping.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $8.73, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
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Fair. The cover has visible markings and wear. Some corner dings. The dust jacket shows normal wear and tear. The pages show normal wear and tear. Codes or product keys that accompany this product may not be valid. Fast Shipping in a Standard Poly Mailer!
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $8.78, good condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $8.78, fair condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
Add this copy of Stepsister to cart. $8.79, good condition, Sold by OnlineGoodwill rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Nashville, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Scholastic Press.
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Good. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are solid. the cover is intact, but may show scuffs or light creases, as well as a possible rolled corner. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, The former owner may have written their name inside the front or back cover. COVER WILL VARY.
"Stop burdening the gods. Stop cursing the devil. They will make no path for you. They gave you their dark gifts: reason and will. Now you must make your own way.
What's done is done. Whether to you, or by you, and you cannot change it.
But what's not done is not done.
And there, both hope and hazard lie. Believe that you can make your way. Or don't. Either way you are right. Every war is different, yet each battle is the same. The enemy is only a distraction. The thing you are fighting against, always, is yourself."
Long ago, in a small town in France named St Michel, there lived a beautiful girl and her two ugly stepsisters. We have all heard her story a thousand times, and fallen in love with the lovely downtrodden girl, always kind and hopeful despite all of the terrible things that have happened to her. When she wins her prince and all of her dreams come true, her story finds it's happily-ever-after, but Isabelle, her stepsister's story is only just beginning. She may have chosen to be mean in the past, but how much of what has happened was Chance, and how much was Fate?
This story picks up as Cinderella ends. What ever became of the ugly stepsisters and their tyrannical mother? Jennifer Donnelly spins a delightful tale of magic, fear, love, penance and bravery. The characters that were always 2 dimensional are suddenly larger than life, and leave you wondering if we were right to judge them by their covers for all these years. These stepsisters are not truly wicked even from the start - they feel remorse and fear, and every human emotion you might expect if you took a moment to humanise them. This story brings to light the choices they made and the things Fate threw at them which made them the way that they are today.
This is one of the best feminist books I think I have read to date. Isabelle turns slowly into a gloriously strong and independent woman, and the story is all about how women can be every bit as fierce as men, and every bit as clever. I loved that there were still brilliant male characters in the story as well, which lends truth to the message instead of becoming anti-man as much as pro-female. I am in love with the replacement Donnelly made for the typical kindly fairy-godmother. Tannaquil the fairy queen is ferocious and earthy and savage, and I think it fits the tone of the story beautifully. Doing what it takes to make your dreams come true is not a clean and easy business, it can take perseverance and questioning what you believe in, and ultimately questioning what it is you really want. The trio of Chance, Fate and Tannaquil was beautiful, I love how they balance each other out, each of them working for what they believe to be the best future.
I also adored the role of the mice, which was true to the Disney cartoon we all love. They were sweet and caring, and very very cute.
I absolutely love the mix of historical setting and outright fairytale, and the darker tone is mysterious and true to the nature of the original tale. I would definitely recommend this book to fairytale lovers, even ones that don't typically enjoy a retelling or twisted tale. It's good fun, and it doesn't change or ruin the nature of the original story in the least; it is it's own narrative with wonderful characters and some very inspiring messages.
One of my favourite things about the prose is the way that the author sometimes speaks directly to the reader - I found those passages to be some of the most interesting and impactful pieces of writing.
Ultimately I think that Jennifer Donnelly did a fantastic job with Stepsister, both carefully stewarding the integrity of a classic fairytale we all love, whilst simultaneously creating her own ingenious twists and fairytale elements with a professional hand.
