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111th out of 144 books
—
97 voters
Braided: A Lesbian Rapunzel (Sappho's Fables: Lesbian Fairy Tales)
by
Elora Bishop (Goodreads Author)
Zelda is cursed to spend her days on a platform in an ancient, holy tree, growing her hair long enough to touch the ground. But it wasn’t her curse to bear: Gray, the witch’s daughter, was meant for that lonely fate. Gray visits Zelda each day, mourning their switched fates, and falling deeper in love with the cursed girl, until one night, at the Not-There Fair, an extraor...more
Kindle Edition
Published
April 4th 2012
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Braided is the new lesbian fairytale rewriting by Elora Bishop (also known as Sarah Diemer). I actually selected it as my reward for supporting The Dark Wife audiobook project Kickstarter, but she sent me it early when I inquired about it on Twitter -- I see so many horror stories about interactions with authors that I felt I had to note this positive one! (And it wasn't my first positive interaction with Sarah Diemer; I also buy things fairly frequently from The Fable Tribe, like this pendant I...more
I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings, although I can be fairly picky about whether or not I like them. But Rapunzel is a tale that is not redone often enough, in my opinion, and the fact that it was a lesbian version made me jump at this novella.
It’s nice that the retelling doesn’t just change the genders of the main romantic pairing and leave it at that. This version, surprisingly, is actually a lot more fantastical and magical. There is even a quest within an alternate dimension/dream world....more
It’s nice that the retelling doesn’t just change the genders of the main romantic pairing and leave it at that. This version, surprisingly, is actually a lot more fantastical and magical. There is even a quest within an alternate dimension/dream world....more
Once again Elora Bishop rebuilds a classic fairy tale from the ground up, stripping back the layers to get to the soul of the story, the core that speaks to us of love and the human spirit.
In 'Braided', a re-imagining of Rapunzel, Zelda is fated to spend her whole life up in the Holity (Holy Tree), listening to the prayers and wishes of the people of the town. Meanwhile Gray, the witch's daughter, has kept a painful secret since she was a child: she was meant to spend her life in the Holity, not...more
In 'Braided', a re-imagining of Rapunzel, Zelda is fated to spend her whole life up in the Holity (Holy Tree), listening to the prayers and wishes of the people of the town. Meanwhile Gray, the witch's daughter, has kept a painful secret since she was a child: she was meant to spend her life in the Holity, not...more
This novella was well written and although based on the concept of the story of Rupunzel's hair, its a completely different story of how two girls are trapped by a shared fate and how they overcome it.
I would go so far as to say that labeling this a "Lesbian" Rapunzel might make people think they would not enjoy the story if they are not lesbian which could not be further from the truth.
I would go so far as to say that labeling this a "Lesbian" Rapunzel might make people think they would not enjoy the story if they are not lesbian which could not be further from the truth.
Once again, I'm blown away by the creativity and general loveliness of Elora Bishop' writing. I love what she does to fairytales. She not only shifts them to feature two young women instead of a princess and a prince, but truly claims the story as her own. It's obviously based on Rapunzel, but Braided is fully its own story. It gave me beautiful dreams of lovely trees.
Sometimes when I really love a book, I get tongue-tied in reviews - all I really want to say is "I loved this. You should read it."
I loved this. You should read it. It's a beautifully written, romantic fantasy novella that transforms Rapunzel into something entrancing - and, well, read it. You won't regret it. It's gorgeous.
I loved this. You should read it. It's a beautifully written, romantic fantasy novella that transforms Rapunzel into something entrancing - and, well, read it. You won't regret it. It's gorgeous.
Guh. This book ate me. Chewed me up, pushed me back out, and made me something new and different. It's been nearly half a year and the ideas from it have stayed. Love. The notes tied to the tree. The girl who is a tree. The souls which can be swapped.
This is another glorious act of Elora's everyone should love on.
This is another glorious act of Elora's everyone should love on.
Not actually a book, but a short story, and a good one. This isn't just a lesbian Rapunzel, but a complete reimagining of the story, very original and well done. The Kindle edition I had has a few typos, but they are fairly easily overlooked. I highly recommend it.
Another great retelling of a fairy tale!
This was an amazing mythic retelling that I recommended to everyone I knew. Jennifer Diemer cleverly and evocatively wove myth and fairytale into a totally new version of the Rapunzel tale. I loved the tale of a girl who is part of a sacred tree, unable to leave it. Other people believe she grants their wishes, but her own is just to be free.
As always with Sarah and Jennifer Diemer, the pacing and unravelling of the tale is always just right. I would have had no idea how to end this story, but s...more
As always with Sarah and Jennifer Diemer, the pacing and unravelling of the tale is always just right. I would have had no idea how to end this story, but s...more
Lovely.
May 18, 2013
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Elora Bishop is a queer author of magical lesbian love stories. You will often find her wearing soft skirts, curled up in a sunny window (much like a cat), Austen in hand, cup of tea (two cream, one sugar) nearby, always piping hot. She is bewitched by all beautiful things–but, most of all, by her beloved wife. She writes lesbian YA as Sarah Diemer.
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“If I could, I would live forever in this moment. But no one can live in a moment, and time moves on.”
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7 people liked it
“When you take advice from a cat, there are always consequences.”
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6 people liked it
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May 26, 2012 07:08am