Mirrors reflect truth, and truth exists before the reflection reaches the eye at the speed of light. Mirrors, in essence, are fortune tellers, showing us what we are to be. In Gregory Maguire’s Mirror Mirror, characters emerge onto the world stage much as we do: through the formative families we are born into, the trials we battle, the relationships we forge along the way. Through his retelling of the familiar Snow White fairy tale, and in a setting distinctively Renaissance-European, we trace the patterns through each character’s narrative to discern who they are to become and of what import. Especially engaging are the odd creatures that become what we have always known as the seven dwarves—but what are they, really? And how did the wicked stepmother get so wicked? Is she a victim herself, born as a woman into a Machiavellian criminal family? Magic mirrors are birthed and lost; healing metallic alloys cause instead paranoia and horrible acts of revenge; and religious power determines family fortunes. Intrigue abounds in this eerie back-story you never knew.