Published
October 2nd 2013
by David Meredith
Synopsis from Goodreads:
What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone?
On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:
The king is dead.
The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.
It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?
Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.
On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:
The king is dead.
The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.
It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means?
Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.
Review:
Have you ever mourned to the point of isolating yourself from everyone around you? The mourning could be loss from divorce, a relationship, or the death of a loved one.
This is a story of loss and grief in more ways than one. We all remember the story of Snow White and Prince Charming. As a little girl, it was one of my favorites. The story lets us see what happens after the "happily ever after" and is a wonderful twist on the Disney version.
The story is one of reflection for Snow White, reminding herself of all she has been through and overcome. She has the help of the "magic mirror" who shows her what is in her heart and what she already knows, but has forgotten. She spends the afternoon reliving memories of abuse at the hands of the Evil Queen step-mother, the death of her parents, and the happiness, love and death of Prince Charming. She finally sees how strong she really is and that she has the strength to carry on and enjoy life again, even though she has lived over a year in depression and has isolated herself from everyone, including her daughter.
As I was reading the story, I was remembering losing my own parents and wondering what I would do if the love of my life passed away. How would I go on? I cried at her thoughts of the love she and Prince Charming shared, simply because I could see myself doing and thinking the same things.
The story is beautifully written; there are some vivid scenes of abuse from her childhood and sexual scenes with her husband. However, the story evokes so many emotions. At the end of the story, it reminded me that life does go on and we all have the memories of our past and loved ones to show us that we can all overcome certain things and we are truly never alone.
If you love fairy tale twists, then you must read this one.
This book was sent to me free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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