{"product_id":"confessions-of-an-ugly-stepsister-a-novel-isbn-9780063489653","title":"Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“An arresting hybrid of mystery, fairy tale, and historical novel. . . . \u003ci\u003eConfessions of an Ugly Stepsister\u003c\/i\u003e isn’t easy to classify or forget.” —\u003ci\u003eDetroit Free Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFar 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.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e[An] engrossing story...endearing and memorable. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoston Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beguiling reconstruction of the Cinderella story...Maguire’s sophisticated story-telling reimagines age-old themes and folklore-familiar characters...a vision that fantasy lovers will find hard to resist. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA tale so movingly told that you will say at the end of the first reading, ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book this good.’ For philosophical depth and lively evocative language, few writers match Gregory Maguire. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNashville Tennessean\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Captivating and beautifully written...Confessions is a rich canvas of colorful characters and fantastic events rendered by an artist attentive to every surface and texture.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBook Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHighly absorbing...Maguire’s precise, slightly archaic language...sweeps readers through this mysterious and fascinating story. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister isn’t easy to classify or forget....The characters in these  Confessions might not end up happily ever after, but you won’t want to miss them.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDetroit Free Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48587990696165,"sku":"NP9780063489653","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063489653.jpg?v=1773959991","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/confessions-of-an-ugly-stepsister-a-novel-isbn-9780063489653","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}