Her mother named her 'Honour' (to go with her siblings, Grace and Hope), but her nickname is Beauty. When her father loses everything he has, they all pack up and move to a small village with Hope's suitor since he intends to be the blacksmith there. After a trip to town, their father returns with a story about a Beast who insists that one of the daughters come to live with him, Beauty knows that she must go. What Beauty finds at the enchanted castle is not what she expects, but slowly, she goes about taming the Beast and learning more about humanity.
Beauty: a Retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast is a very traditional retelling of Beauty and the Beast - it isn't precisely the 'Disney' version, but anyone who knows the story won't be surprised by anything. I enjoy reading this book because it does add some depth to the story, although it is kind of bland in comparison with other stories that have more variation from the 'original.' Anyone who really enjoys re-tellings should read this at some point, although, if you're looking for something really different, you would probably prefer the next book (Rose Daughter).
Rose Daughter is also a retelling of Beauty and the Beast: Greatheart, Jeweltongue, and Beauty are the three daughters of a wealthy merchant. Beauty, the youngest, takes refuge in the garden as soon as she can walk. After their mother's death when the children are young, their father loses interest in his business, causing them to lose everything a few years later. Luckily, Beauty happens to find a will giving her ownership of Rose Cottage in a far away village; without any other choices, they pack up and move. But although they all adjust to their new lives, the villagers hint of a curse if three girls live at Rose Cottage and other strange whispers about the forest and an old quarrel between sorcerers. When their father returns to Town on business, he takes refuge at an enchanted castle and, of course, the Beast demands one of his daughters when he takes a rose. Beauty discovers that the Beast needs her help and does her best to set things to right for him.
The first time that I read this book, I didn't enjoy it much. Since then, I have come to love it - the imagery is beautiful, the characterizations are complex and thorough. Perhaps most importantly, it retells the story with enough changes to make it very unique and satisfying. Some readers may not like the level of detail in this book (McKinley does tend to get a bit wordy with her descriptions) but I think that it is worth it. I would definitely recommend this to fantasy fans, particularly those who like re-tellings and/or the story of Beauty and the Beast.
- If these books sound interesting, consider these: The Fire Rose, Cecelia and Kate, or Half-Human
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