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Retold of Old #2
The Slipper and the Tree
This is a tale of witches and wishes, tales and trees, stepmothers, spells and a girl who sleeps in the ashes by the fire...
But it's not the one you know.
The Slipper and the Tree is a novella, and part of the Retold of Old Series by G. Lawrence.
But it's not the one you know.
The Slipper and the Tree is a novella, and part of the Retold of Old Series by G. Lawrence.
167 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 5, 2020
13 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
G. Lawrence
50 books284 followersI am an independently published author, and proud to be so. Living in a little cottage in Wales in the UK, I love where I live as much as I love to write.
The age of the Tudors has been an obsession for me since I was a child, and many of my upcoming books will center on that time, but I also pen the odd dystopian fiction or historical fiction from other time periods. I will be releasing all my titles on amazon, for kindle and then hopefully for print later.
I studied Literature (with a capital L) at University and usually have twenty or more books I'm currently reading. Reading and writing are about mood for me, and I haven't found a genre I didn't enjoy something about so far...
You can often find me on Wattpad or Twitter when I'm not writing...
The age of the Tudors has been an obsession for me since I was a child, and many of my upcoming books will center on that time, but I also pen the odd dystopian fiction or historical fiction from other time periods. I will be releasing all my titles on amazon, for kindle and then hopefully for print later.
I studied Literature (with a capital L) at University and usually have twenty or more books I'm currently reading. Reading and writing are about mood for me, and I haven't found a genre I didn't enjoy something about so far...
You can often find me on Wattpad or Twitter when I'm not writing...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 26, 2022
Mischievous and Captivating
Was Cinderella’s father kind and caring? Did he hope to give his daughter a new and loving mother? Maybe he was as they tell in that age-old fairy tale. G Lawrence shifts the viewpoint in retelling the story. After all, we know that women had little say about their fate at the time when this tale was first known. When was that? Apparently, the Greeks were first with the fable of Rhodopis the slave girl who married the Egyptian king. An Italian author, Giambattista Basile brought the narrative to life again in 1634. Later followed versions by Perrault and The Grimm Brothers.
There is something both comforting and disturbing about changing around the story so that the evil Stepmother takes on a different aspect. Disturbing, because we have grown used to this fairy tale trope. At the same time, it is refreshing and compelling, especially because Cinderella (Nion) becomes a real person with depth and character.
It is easy to dismiss the original Cinderella and send her to the corner. She only receives life through being accepted as a beautiful bride. Such girls exist. Girls who are needy and submissive and spend their time dreaming of a Prince Charming who must rescue them.
G Lawrence twists this story and makes it fresh. Thus, it becomes invigorating and full of verve. There is magic, of course – no fairy tale can exist without magic. Also, there are wise words from the narrator, who comments on the plot and points out how easy it is to go wrong. Lawrence brings across this tale with aplomb. The writing is crisp and evocative. It lures the reader into another world.
Was Cinderella’s father kind and caring? Did he hope to give his daughter a new and loving mother? Maybe he was as they tell in that age-old fairy tale. G Lawrence shifts the viewpoint in retelling the story. After all, we know that women had little say about their fate at the time when this tale was first known. When was that? Apparently, the Greeks were first with the fable of Rhodopis the slave girl who married the Egyptian king. An Italian author, Giambattista Basile brought the narrative to life again in 1634. Later followed versions by Perrault and The Grimm Brothers.
There is something both comforting and disturbing about changing around the story so that the evil Stepmother takes on a different aspect. Disturbing, because we have grown used to this fairy tale trope. At the same time, it is refreshing and compelling, especially because Cinderella (Nion) becomes a real person with depth and character.
It is easy to dismiss the original Cinderella and send her to the corner. She only receives life through being accepted as a beautiful bride. Such girls exist. Girls who are needy and submissive and spend their time dreaming of a Prince Charming who must rescue them.
G Lawrence twists this story and makes it fresh. Thus, it becomes invigorating and full of verve. There is magic, of course – no fairy tale can exist without magic. Also, there are wise words from the narrator, who comments on the plot and points out how easy it is to go wrong. Lawrence brings across this tale with aplomb. The writing is crisp and evocative. It lures the reader into another world.
October 6, 2020
Twist in the tales
Interesting twist to familiar fairy tales. The fairy tales have been imaginatively retold bringing in different elements with a bit of magic woven into it. Liked it.
Interesting twist to familiar fairy tales. The fairy tales have been imaginatively retold bringing in different elements with a bit of magic woven into it. Liked it.
December 15, 2022
I listened to the audiobook of this story on behalf of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team #RBRT. Thank you to Rosie and the author, G. Lawrence for sharing it with me.
The Slipper and The Tree is a retelling of the classic Cinderella fairy tale but there are many differences and unexpected twists in this fresh feminist take on an old classic.
“Witches become trees when they die.”
The existence of witches is a fact that our main character, Nion becomes aware of when her aunt comes to visit soon after her mother is killed by her nobleman father. She has been banished to the kitchen rather than continuing a noble life as his child, since she is female and cannot be his heir. This is a brutal man’s world in which only male heirs are valued and women who cannot produce such offspring are cast aside or murdered. Nion’s mother was a witch and has now become a tree in death. A dead witch is able to design a comfortable room within their tree for the use and safety of other witches. Nion’s aunt shows her the tree that her mother has become and gives her its key.
In this version of the story there is not one ball, but three. After each ball the girls rejected by Prince Charming show their desperation to be exactly who he is looking for by mutilating their bodies. What other hope can they have in a society which only values women for their ability to procreate and provide a male heir. They have to marry well to survive at all costs.
There is much less romance in this story than in the traditional Cinderella story, which I appreciated. There is, however, plenty of magic and whimsy with spiders and vegetables who become horses and the coach almost stealing the show. The wonderfully warm and richly voiced narration of Charles Johnston makes it an enchanting story. It is easy to imagine him sitting by the fire with a book on his knees reading to a circle of enraptured children. He is an absolute pleasure to listen to and captures the relevant emotions and moods required by the different parts of the story.
Luckily Nion realizes what she must do in order to be happy for the rest of her life and there is just enough romance to enable her to have a happy ending on her terms - which is very different to the traditional ending for Cinderella.
Nion’s stepmother, who is not wicked, but is understandably jaded having acted as a kind of brood mare to three husbands intent on producing a son, is also allowed a happy ending, finally.
I really enjoyed this story and in particular the audio narration and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes an alternative take on a fairytale.
The Slipper and The Tree is a retelling of the classic Cinderella fairy tale but there are many differences and unexpected twists in this fresh feminist take on an old classic.
“Witches become trees when they die.”
The existence of witches is a fact that our main character, Nion becomes aware of when her aunt comes to visit soon after her mother is killed by her nobleman father. She has been banished to the kitchen rather than continuing a noble life as his child, since she is female and cannot be his heir. This is a brutal man’s world in which only male heirs are valued and women who cannot produce such offspring are cast aside or murdered. Nion’s mother was a witch and has now become a tree in death. A dead witch is able to design a comfortable room within their tree for the use and safety of other witches. Nion’s aunt shows her the tree that her mother has become and gives her its key.
In this version of the story there is not one ball, but three. After each ball the girls rejected by Prince Charming show their desperation to be exactly who he is looking for by mutilating their bodies. What other hope can they have in a society which only values women for their ability to procreate and provide a male heir. They have to marry well to survive at all costs.
There is much less romance in this story than in the traditional Cinderella story, which I appreciated. There is, however, plenty of magic and whimsy with spiders and vegetables who become horses and the coach almost stealing the show. The wonderfully warm and richly voiced narration of Charles Johnston makes it an enchanting story. It is easy to imagine him sitting by the fire with a book on his knees reading to a circle of enraptured children. He is an absolute pleasure to listen to and captures the relevant emotions and moods required by the different parts of the story.
Luckily Nion realizes what she must do in order to be happy for the rest of her life and there is just enough romance to enable her to have a happy ending on her terms - which is very different to the traditional ending for Cinderella.
Nion’s stepmother, who is not wicked, but is understandably jaded having acted as a kind of brood mare to three husbands intent on producing a son, is also allowed a happy ending, finally.
I really enjoyed this story and in particular the audio narration and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes an alternative take on a fairytale.
January 6, 2025
The first few pages, I almost put this book down. A lot of waffle and doesn't get straight to the point. But just before I put it down, the interesting part started and I'm glad I stuck with it. There is a lot of unnecessary purple prose that could have been cut down but I skipped through most of that.
The two main characters are interesting and it's a lovely twist on Cinderella.
The two main characters are interesting and it's a lovely twist on Cinderella.
August 9, 2021
I enjoyed her version of Little Red Riding Hood, so I thought I would give this one a try. I loved it even more. Many of the quotes ought to be stitched onto pillows. It has a feel good ending. It's a feminist tale about a masculine era, and very individualistically human.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews