The Shadow of the Bear

Occasionally I do want to put book reviews on my blog. Only, I posted once on how I am at finishing books. Then to do the review justice, I feel like I should have underlined more. You can't underline library books, though.

Today I am pointing you to some books I read some time ago, but about which I was reminded today. They are modern retellings of some of Grimm's Fairy Tales. What makes these novels distinct is their conservative, go-to-God persepective. What I mean is, do you ever read a book and your brain is just chanting "Pray, pray, pray"? Or do you wish you could read books where the people are like you: they care what God thinks; they go to church on Sunday, not the mall; they pray when trouble comes; they think about modesty and feminity? This is a book for you.

The author is Catholic, which I am not, and her characters include priests and friars (or monks or something like that). If you can get over that, which I found very easy, the story is beautiful; they characters are good; the lessons are true.

In the series there is The Shadow of the Bear, based on Snow White and Rose Red; Black as Night, based on Snow White, and Waking Rose, which will be published in 2007 sometime, from Sleeping Beauty. The link tells you about the books (you can read Chapter 1), about the author, about the original fairy tales, and sells T-shirts with phrases like "Some day my Bear will come" and "Princess in disguise."

The author apparently loves literature, including G.K. Chesterton (author of Father Brown mysteries), who had a genius for expression. His opinion on fairy tales is here.

To God be all glory.