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All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella's Stepmother
by
We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we?
As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, a woman who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story. But what unfolds is not the princess's history. The tale Agnes recounts is her own.
A peasant born into serfdom, Agnes is separat ...more
As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, a woman who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story. But what unfolds is not the princess's history. The tale Agnes recounts is her own.
A peasant born into serfdom, Agnes is separat ...more
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Start your review of All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella's Stepmother
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
3.5 Stars
“We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we?”
I’ve never been big of fairy tales, but the description of this novel had me intrigued. “All the Ever Afters” is the story of Princess Cinderella told from the point of view of her stepmother, Agnes.
Agnes has heard all of the rumors….how cruel she apparently was to Elfilda (Ella), that Ella’s step-sisters vied for Prince Henry’s attention, and so much more.
“Com ...more
3.5 Stars
“We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we?”
I’ve never been big of fairy tales, but the description of this novel had me intrigued. “All the Ever Afters” is the story of Princess Cinderella told from the point of view of her stepmother, Agnes.
Agnes has heard all of the rumors….how cruel she apparently was to Elfilda (Ella), that Ella’s step-sisters vied for Prince Henry’s attention, and so much more.
“Com ...more
👑 Oh, dear! This is the mind-blowing tale, fairy or not, that I've always wanted to get my hands on.
I've never been one for the Cinderella story. It just never felt absolutely right. So, she becomes the future queen, what's she gonna do next?
This is rehashing the original, in a very expectedly unexpected way. Here goes the purr-fect illustration of the principle: no matter how you raise your kids (step- or otherwise), they will always have what to discuss with their psychoanalyst (or their cour ...more
I've never been one for the Cinderella story. It just never felt absolutely right. So, she becomes the future queen, what's she gonna do next?
This is rehashing the original, in a very expectedly unexpected way. Here goes the purr-fect illustration of the principle: no matter how you raise your kids (step- or otherwise), they will always have what to discuss with their psychoanalyst (or their cour ...more
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Beautiful inside and out; All the Ever Afters is a sorrowful tale woven from lyrical prose, words as lovely and lush as the book's alluring cover. Cinderella's "evil" stepmother, Agnes, tells her side of the story, in which she's born a peasant and must claw her way to a better life. The little cinder girl arrives late in the story, a mere trifle compared to the hardship and heartbreak Agnes endures.
The ...more
Beautiful inside and out; All the Ever Afters is a sorrowful tale woven from lyrical prose, words as lovely and lush as the book's alluring cover. Cinderella's "evil" stepmother, Agnes, tells her side of the story, in which she's born a peasant and must claw her way to a better life. The little cinder girl arrives late in the story, a mere trifle compared to the hardship and heartbreak Agnes endures.
The ...more
All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella’s Stepmother by Danielle Teller is a fantasy retelling. Taking on the idea that every story has different sides readers get to know Cinderella's stepmother from her point of view from childhood until after Cinderella's wedding. I would warn of the sexual content within this one making it for mature readers.
Agnes was born a peasant and while her family found a husband for her sister Agnes was turned over to work as a servant at the age of ten. S ...more
Agnes was born a peasant and while her family found a husband for her sister Agnes was turned over to work as a servant at the age of ten. S ...more
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
See my mediocre book pics here
3.5 Stars
“Everyone knows the story about Prince Henry’s hunt for the beautiful girl he met at the ball, how he searched from house to house, asking every unmarried woman in five parishes to try on the glass slippers. That is a pretty tale. As usual, the truth is more mundane.”
Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t want to be like this rather than one of those mealy-mouthed princesses?????
Or even l ...more
See my mediocre book pics here
3.5 Stars
“Everyone knows the story about Prince Henry’s hunt for the beautiful girl he met at the ball, how he searched from house to house, asking every unmarried woman in five parishes to try on the glass slippers. That is a pretty tale. As usual, the truth is more mundane.”
Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t want to be like this rather than one of those mealy-mouthed princesses?????
Or even l ...more
May 10, 2020
Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
fairy-tales,
historical-fiction
NOT YOUR ORDINARY VILLAIN REDEMPTION STORY
Usually with fairy tale retellings told from the villains POV, the premise is to explain how the villain came to be. That was not the case for this one. This is a more realistic take on the myth of Cinderella, and in stead of explaining the Stepmother's wickedness, it seeks to show that she wasn't even all that wicked after all. Very intriguing and very captivating.
👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍
Realisti ...more
Usually with fairy tale retellings told from the villains POV, the premise is to explain how the villain came to be. That was not the case for this one. This is a more realistic take on the myth of Cinderella, and in stead of explaining the Stepmother's wickedness, it seeks to show that she wasn't even all that wicked after all. Very intriguing and very captivating.
"Compelling fiction often obscures the humble truth."
👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍
Realisti ...more
May 17, 2018
Faith M ✨
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of Jane Eyre and non-fantasy retellings
I received this ARC from William Morrow on LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.
Wow this book is amazing!
The Writing
For a debut, this is absolutely astounding! This is one of the most well written books I have ever read! As an example, here's a bunch of quotes I particularly loved:
"Being strong does not disqualify you from being beautiful."
Wow this book is amazing!
The Writing
For a debut, this is absolutely astounding! This is one of the most well written books I have ever read! As an example, here's a bunch of quotes I particularly loved:
"Compelling fiction often obscures the humble truth."
I wonder sometimes if the thoughts...more
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/05/22/...
I’ve never been able to say no to a good fairy tale retelling. They are my absolute weakness, and I’ve been especially tempted as of late by the recent crop of novels touting the point-of-view of the “villain”. It ultimately led me to pick up All the Ever Afters, which boldly bears the tagline describing itself as the untold story of Cinderella’s stepmother, the notoriously cruel and wicked antagonist from the classic fair ...more
I’ve never been able to say no to a good fairy tale retelling. They are my absolute weakness, and I’ve been especially tempted as of late by the recent crop of novels touting the point-of-view of the “villain”. It ultimately led me to pick up All the Ever Afters, which boldly bears the tagline describing itself as the untold story of Cinderella’s stepmother, the notoriously cruel and wicked antagonist from the classic fair ...more
When I reached the end and closed this book, I felt fulfilled, and at so many levels. The language captured me first. What a complete command of expressions! A pleasure to watch its secure stroke, its expert unfolding; a painting that becomes sculpture and walks you all around an image, a scene, a character, a plot. An exquisite mastery of the written word that reminds of Umberto Eco. I even found a few words I had to look up, yet so expertly placed in the context that, from the way they fitted, ...more
4.5 stars! RTC
A really impressive historically-grounded novel that really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it; I loved the presentation of gender and social roles. I also love Agnes, my clever Slytherin child.
A really impressive historically-grounded novel that really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it; I loved the presentation of gender and social roles. I also love Agnes, my clever Slytherin child.
This is honestly between 2 and 3 stars for me. It was just so bland. And boring. And predictable.
Agnes is Ella’s stepmother. She endures a hard childhood being separated from her family, but manages to secure herself a decent life with some form of independence through her hard work and intelligence. I can respect the character of Agnes - she is very honest when reflecting upon her life but the narration was just so full.
Ella annoyed the hell out of me in this book. She was just a whiny spoiled ...more
Agnes is Ella’s stepmother. She endures a hard childhood being separated from her family, but manages to secure herself a decent life with some form of independence through her hard work and intelligence. I can respect the character of Agnes - she is very honest when reflecting upon her life but the narration was just so full.
Ella annoyed the hell out of me in this book. She was just a whiny spoiled ...more
THIS BOOK IS NOT (strictly speaking) FANTASY.
All the Ever Afters is a thoughtful reimagining of the characters from Cinderella as real people in a real medieval setting. The plot has a nested structure, with the familiar details of the fairy tale embedded in the longer rags-to-riches arc of the stepmother's narrative. The book can be enjoyed on many levels; even the insightful stepmother is not always fully aware of the layers of psychological complexity that underlie her words.
That's my public ...more
All the Ever Afters is a thoughtful reimagining of the characters from Cinderella as real people in a real medieval setting. The plot has a nested structure, with the familiar details of the fairy tale embedded in the longer rags-to-riches arc of the stepmother's narrative. The book can be enjoyed on many levels; even the insightful stepmother is not always fully aware of the layers of psychological complexity that underlie her words.
That's my public ...more
A soulful, gut-wrenching, dark and disturbing retelling of Cinderella. It reminded me of Fairest by Marissa Meyer, another step-mother origin story. Like Fairest it was morbid and oft times sickening but I was entranced and couldn’t stop. Unlike Fairest, it was more real, mature and grounded and thus hit much harder due to the absence of fantasy or sci-fi elements.
The book proceeds with agonizing slowness, painstakingly describing each and every detail of the stepmother, Agnes’s life. The Cinder ...more
2.5 stars
This wasn't the book for me. The only reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because of the quality of the writing. The story itself bored me to death. I wanted to read this because I love fairy tale retellings. The story of Cinderella's stepmother seemed interesting. I thought I would see her in a different light and understand why she became the evil stepmother. Somehow her story never made me sympathetic to her plight. A fair amount of the bad things that happened to her were the result of ...more
This wasn't the book for me. The only reason I'm giving it 3 stars is because of the quality of the writing. The story itself bored me to death. I wanted to read this because I love fairy tale retellings. The story of Cinderella's stepmother seemed interesting. I thought I would see her in a different light and understand why she became the evil stepmother. Somehow her story never made me sympathetic to her plight. A fair amount of the bad things that happened to her were the result of ...more
DNF at around halfway
The main problem with this one is that there wasn't any point to it? In most books there is a point and something the main character wants to achieve, but in this one there was nothing. It was just the background of Cinderella's step mother, but nothing that this child goes through relates to the step mother? It could be any random child. BUT I see why some people would like this, but it's just not for me.
I'm being strict with my reading this year, one of the rules I've ma ...more
The main problem with this one is that there wasn't any point to it? In most books there is a point and something the main character wants to achieve, but in this one there was nothing. It was just the background of Cinderella's step mother, but nothing that this child goes through relates to the step mother? It could be any random child. BUT I see why some people would like this, but it's just not for me.
I'm being strict with my reading this year, one of the rules I've ma ...more
Here's to a very satisfying read!
It is well written, excellently told, and is a surprising yet enjoyable take on the classic tale we all know and love; Cinderella, or at least the world of Cinderella. Thank you Danielle Teller! ...more
It is well written, excellently told, and is a surprising yet enjoyable take on the classic tale we all know and love; Cinderella, or at least the world of Cinderella. Thank you Danielle Teller! ...more
All the Ever Afters is realistically refreshing! It is captivating and emotional. With a unique twist on a classic faerie tale villain, this one is sure to impress!
When I saw the synopsis for this one, I was immediately drawn in. Heartless by Marissa Meyer went to my mind, and I was expecting a whimsical tale about why Cinderella's stepmother was evil. What I got was a more realistic story about Agnes and her upbringing, and a twist on Cinderella's character.
This one read like a historical ficti ...more
When I saw the synopsis for this one, I was immediately drawn in. Heartless by Marissa Meyer went to my mind, and I was expecting a whimsical tale about why Cinderella's stepmother was evil. What I got was a more realistic story about Agnes and her upbringing, and a twist on Cinderella's character.
This one read like a historical ficti ...more
DNF @ 12%
I don't think this a bad book at all, but it's everything I personally don't like in fantasy.
- kingdom and court politics
- formal language
- marriage plots
- infodumping of world / character backstory
Not for me, unfortunately, but I wouldn't deter any fantasy fans. ...more
I don't think this a bad book at all, but it's everything I personally don't like in fantasy.
- kingdom and court politics
- formal language
- marriage plots
- infodumping of world / character backstory
Not for me, unfortunately, but I wouldn't deter any fantasy fans. ...more
Oh did I enjoy this read! Having it come between so many modern ambitious, word sodden, and often times pretentious reads, both fiction and non-fiction, how very refreshing.
Yes, there is sickness, poverty of material and experience, often ignorant or narrow minded characters, and some sex or marriage ploys of those medieval times. But overall it is rather triumphant. It's the fairy tale told in a non-fairy tale way. And I loved it.
Two reasons come to mind that made it outstanding in the present ...more
Yes, there is sickness, poverty of material and experience, often ignorant or narrow minded characters, and some sex or marriage ploys of those medieval times. But overall it is rather triumphant. It's the fairy tale told in a non-fairy tale way. And I loved it.
Two reasons come to mind that made it outstanding in the present ...more
Thank you to Edelweiss, William Morrow and Danielle Teller for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating 3.5 stars
There are always two sides to every story and “All The Ever Afters” wants you to hear Cinderella’s evil stepmother’s perspective. Was she always evil? If not, what could have made her that way? Time to hear the tale that leads from Agnes Vil-de-Loup’s early life until her happily ever after.
We are first introduced to young Agnes at the age of nine when she is sent off to work i ...more
Rating 3.5 stars
There are always two sides to every story and “All The Ever Afters” wants you to hear Cinderella’s evil stepmother’s perspective. Was she always evil? If not, what could have made her that way? Time to hear the tale that leads from Agnes Vil-de-Loup’s early life until her happily ever after.
We are first introduced to young Agnes at the age of nine when she is sent off to work i ...more
I don’t usually seek out fairytale retellings, but All the Ever Afters attracted me for two reasons:
1. The cover. I admit I judge by a cover far too frequently, but this one is particularly gorgeous.
It was told from the evil stepmother’s point of view. Although we have books that retell a tale from a different point of view, I was intrigued by it being told by the heavily maligned evil stepmother.
Now that I have finished All the Ever Afters I am pleased that I picked it up. It told the Cinderell ...more
1. The cover. I admit I judge by a cover far too frequently, but this one is particularly gorgeous.
It was told from the evil stepmother’s point of view. Although we have books that retell a tale from a different point of view, I was intrigued by it being told by the heavily maligned evil stepmother.
Now that I have finished All the Ever Afters I am pleased that I picked it up. It told the Cinderell ...more
What’s a good novel for if not to whisk us away from every day life and transport us to another place and time, a chance to escape and be entertained by way of a captivating tale. “All the Ever Afters” delivers in spades! Danielle Teller’s well crafted, fresh new take on an old Fairy Tale, captured my imagination with her depiction of Cinderella’s family and their before unknown struggles. I was completely drawn in by their constant tussle between good and evil, love and beauty and the ever twis
...more
RATING: 3 STARS
2018; William Morrow/HarperCollins Canada
(Review Not on Blog)
Retellings are always a hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed the film version of Ever After (about Cinderella) so I was excited to read this retelling of the stepmother's story. You always wonder about the villains and how they came to be so cruel. Or, is that just the Psychology major in me? Lol. I don't know if it is the timing or mood, but I just could not get into this story. It was well-written but I just couldn't ...more
2018; William Morrow/HarperCollins Canada
(Review Not on Blog)
Retellings are always a hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed the film version of Ever After (about Cinderella) so I was excited to read this retelling of the stepmother's story. You always wonder about the villains and how they came to be so cruel. Or, is that just the Psychology major in me? Lol. I don't know if it is the timing or mood, but I just could not get into this story. It was well-written but I just couldn't ...more
Fresh and ferocious, ALL THE EVER AFTERS is the best fairy tale retelling I've ever read. Wholly original, Teller took the Cinderella story we know and love and flipped the script. With strong themes about society's view on physical beauty and even stronger prose, I devoured each chapter. They say that everyone is the hero in their own life but in this case, Agnes was a shining star and far more interesting than the traditional tale implied. Five stars, plus one million stars, for a total of one
...more
Took everything think I thought I knew about Cinderella and turned it on it’s head! Great audio, too.
May 04, 2018
Anupama C K(b0rn_2_read)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ebook-edelweiss
A beautiful retelling of Cinderella , from the step mother’s perspective.Cinderella was always one of my favourite fairy tales , so i was excited to read it from the Step mother’s POV. As i started the story i realised that i didn’t even know her name it was always “the wicked stepmother”, who made Cinderella , do all the work and pampered her own daughters. So let me tell you , her name was Agnes, by the time i finished the book i actually felt sad for her ( I can’t believe it myself that i wo
...more
Many many thanks to William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for my free copy of ALL THE EVER AFTERS by Danielle Teller - all opinions are my own.
I just love a good fairytale retelling and this book is just that! This is a unique take on the story of Cinderella and her “evil” stepmother. And I’ll tell you why: this is not a fantasy retelling, but reads more like historical fiction and is written from the perspective of the stepmother, Agnes. This is such a complex, creative, and brilliant book!
We follo ...more
I just love a good fairytale retelling and this book is just that! This is a unique take on the story of Cinderella and her “evil” stepmother. And I’ll tell you why: this is not a fantasy retelling, but reads more like historical fiction and is written from the perspective of the stepmother, Agnes. This is such a complex, creative, and brilliant book!
We follo ...more
Jun 23, 2018
Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
canadian-authors
Wow! This was incredibly well done! A character typically villanized gets their own POV and every one in here has completely different characteristics and their own story. I also really appreciated the focus being on motherly love rather than a romantic love betrayal!
Apr 26, 2018
Rebecca Lyman
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
http-rebeccabookreview-wordpress,
2018-books
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
I have recently enjoyed the influx of fairy-tale retellings and the tales that are told from a different point of view. I loved the movie that came out a few years ago, Maleficient, and of course one of my all time favorites in this vein was the musical, Wicked. From these stories we learn that evil is not born but made, and truthfully is decided by the story-teller. Tales are exaggerated and told to paint the stor ...more
I have recently enjoyed the influx of fairy-tale retellings and the tales that are told from a different point of view. I loved the movie that came out a few years ago, Maleficient, and of course one of my all time favorites in this vein was the musical, Wicked. From these stories we learn that evil is not born but made, and truthfully is decided by the story-teller. Tales are exaggerated and told to paint the stor ...more
ALL THE EVER AFTERS by Danielle Teller tells the story of Cinderella from the perspective of the so-called wicked stepmother. Turns out she wasn’t so wicked after all! Born into poverty, Agnes rose in the ranks because of her grit and intelligence. Lady Elfida “Ella” (aka Cinderella), meanwhile, is portrayed as childlike and spoiled. The “ugly” stepsisters are not even ugly — one has dark skin and is discriminated against for that reason alone, while the other has facial scars because she surviv
...more
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Danielle Teller (formerly Morse, née Dyck) grew up in Canada, where she and her two brothers were raised by the best parents in the world. As a child, she was a bookworm who dreamed of being a writer, but she chickened out and went to medical school instead. In 1994, she moved temporarily to America, and she has been living temporarily in America ever since.
Danielle attended Queen’s University du ...more
Danielle attended Queen’s University du ...more
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“Compelling fiction often obscures the humble truth.”
—
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“I no longer believe that people are born without virtue. It gets beaten out. Misfortune threshes our souls as a flail threshes wheat, and the lightest parts of ourselves are scattered to the wind.”
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