Ever think that it would be wonderful to have a child who was obedient all the time? Like not just most of the time or when you wanted them to, but literally 24/7 obedience. Including hopping on one foot for thirty-six hours, or literally running into a wall because you told them to. Well, a few years ago I ran across a book that tells the story of a girl like that.
Ella of Frell is one of very few people to have received a fairy gift at birth, but all who know about it, Lady Eleanor (her mother), Mandy (family cook and fairy godmother), and Ella, herself, agree that Lucinda’s gift is more of a curse than a gift. After learning about her forced obedience at the age of five, Ella became a rebel against the curse, searching for a way to break it and, if nothing else, delay the need to follow through. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worst when her mother fell ill and died. Her father, Sir Peter, sends her off to Finishing School with the daughters of Dame Olga while he continues his merchant business. Then the elder of the two sisters, Hattie, discovers Ella’s curse quite by accident and makes it her goal to ruin Ella’s life. However, there is one bright spot in Ella’s life: Prince Charmont, or Char as his friends and family calls him. Bonding over her mother’s death, Ella shares a quiet, innocent friendship with the prince, delighting in making him laugh. But as Ella gains a stepmother and two stepsisters, she is confronted with the horrid thought that her curse of obedience makes her a danger to not only her friend but even the entire kingdom. Will Ella find a way to break her curse before it is too late? Will she lose her true love to another because of her curse? Or has she indirectly cursed everyone she loves because of a foolish fairy’s gift? I actually found this book thanks to “Highlights” magazine, when one of the readers shared Ella Enchanted as their favorite book. So when I found it at the library I had to pick it up and read it for myself. I never once regretted it. I fell in love with the characters and the story. Ella is a princess/heroine filled with courage and laughter. She also displays many talents, such as languages and cooking. Do not mention the film that shares this title. In my opinion, the movie was horrid. (If however you think the movie was good, we’ll have to agree to disagree on the matter.) I wasn’t real impressed and was highly disappointed when they removed so much of the amazing details and scenes from the book. Possibly one of the biggest disappointments was the fact that a certain fairy never actually learned her lesson. <growl/screams for a moment> Anyway, that being said, if you have seen the movie, please read the book and form your own opinion either way.
Okay, back to the book. It actually took me awhile to realize that this story is actually based on Cinderella. Being the fairytale fan that I am, I’m actually surprised that I missed it for so long. But it is there. Glass slippers, three balls, evil stepfamily. The author even makes it reasonable for the father to be alive and yet out of the picture. There isn’t really a large amount of active magic, aside from Ella’s obedience, but there are mythical creatures such as centaurs, ogres, elves, and fairies.
Gail Carson Levine is the author of this little masterpiece (a Newberry Honor Book). Ella’s journey is told in twenty-nine chapters and beautifully wrapped up in an epilogue. The pages add up to 232, making it a good sized novel. I would also recommend the audio book version narrated by Eden Riegel. She does an amazing job telling the story in Ella’s voice and changing tone/sound for different characters.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It has some adventure, a dash of romance, and a lot of fantasy. It is a beautiful story well-worth the read.
Until next time. Bye-bye.
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