Beauty: A Retelling of the Tale of Beauty and the Beast

Beauty A Retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast

Robin McKinley

               Honour and Beauty, are both her name and her strongest characteristics. Honour, Beauty’s birth name, and her sisters, Grace and Hope are raised along the sea, only by their wealthy father. His ships go missing for years, forcing the family and their fortune to another town with Hope and her fiancé. Grace’s fiancé, Tim was on one of her father’s lost ships and so with great sadness she leaves town with her family. After months living in the country, their father returns to the sea when he receives a letter that one of his ships has returned. Before he leaves Beauty requests rose seeds. Father has no luck finding seeds so takes a rose from the Beast’s garden. He is caught and the Beast says he must return in a month with one of his daughters or become his prisoner. Beauty honors her father by taking his place and goes into the enchanted woods. Months pass and with Beauty and the Beast’s shared love for books and their walks together, she falls in love with his kind and generous personality. When looking at a glass she finds that Grace’s fiancé is alive and insists on going home to tell Grace. Beauty must return quickly back to the Beast as he cannot live without her. Taking longer than expected, she returns to him just in time. She tells him she loves him and they marry. With shipwrecks, long journeys by wagon, the enchanted forest and castle, as well as new characters, readers are sure to be engaged. The references to Persephone and other Greek mythology adds a unique contrast. This innocent love story that represents the importance of compassion, honor, and inner beauty is one that will attract a young female audience.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

BIBLIO: 1993, HarperTrophy, Ages 12 to adult, $3.40.

REVIEWER: Jennifer Debo

Format: middle reader/young adult

ISBN-10:0064404773

ISBN-13:978-0064404778