Rose Daughter | ||||||
Robin McKinley | ||||||
Ace Books, 292 pages | ||||||
A review by Margo MacDonald
For my part, I believe this justification to be interesting but totally
unnecessary. This is simply one of the most beautiful stories I have
ever read and, if others feel the same, that should be enough to
validate its existence.
McKinley's style is simple, elegant and finely detailed. Her characters
are named out of fairy tales (Beauty, Lionheart, Jeweltongue, etc.) but
are very human, interesting and likeable -- you really care about them. The
magical elements simply exist as part of the world in which the story takes place.
They are neither forced nor overdone. The story rolls along gently,
like a quiet stroll through a scented garden.
This is not the typical take on the beauty and the beast story, however,
in that the focus in this case is not romance. This is a story about
contentment -- finding it and holding on to it -- and about how, sometimes,
we find the strangest things blooming at the centre of our hearts. It is
also a story about roses -- maybe a little too much about roses, but in this
regard the passion of the author translates into the passion of the main
character and so is forgivable. But it is the feeling of finding
contentment that stays with you.
To put it simply, I looked up from this book and saw the world for a
while through rose-coloured glasses. And something of the core of peace
at the heart of this story has stayed with me at the centre of my
heart. So, thank you Ms. McKinley for telling this story again. I
think now I'll go back and read Beauty and look forward to the
chance that you may tell this story yet again in another 20 years.
Margo has always been drawn toward fantasy and, at the age of 5, decided to fill her life with it by pursuing a career as a professional actress. Aside from theatre (and her husband), Margo's passion has been for books. Her interests are diverse and eclectic, but the bulk fall within the realm of speculative fiction. She tells us that her backlog has reached 200 books and she's ready to win the lottery and retire. |
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