Isabelle Adriani, writer, journalist and actress continues her now twenty- year study of fairy tales. Her initial degree including a thesis on the DNA of Fairy Tales was followed by PhD research in the same field. Intrigued by the ever-loved story of Cinderella (more than 300 versions of the story have spread all around the world) she now takes us 2650 years back in time in a marvelous narrative exploration of the first, real Cinderella in history, Rhodopis the rosy-cheeked, a Greek slave girl who married a Pharaoh and all because of a shoe. Ultimately, the Cinderella story is not that of an individual person, but rather of a spirit that lives within all of us, no matter what our culture is or which part of the world we come from. From the earliest versions, the odds are stacked against Cinderella - the name derives from cinder or ash - who is born low class and sold into slavery. Nonetheless, she is transformed into an independent, empowered, self-made woman. Her story unites us all in the knowledge that, despite our individual and societal limitations, color, language, space and time, we can and should continue to fight for justice and equality. A better life. A better world.

More than 800,000 copies in print! From the author of critically acclaimed and bestselling memoir Falling Leaves, this is a poignant and moving true account of her childhood, growing up as an unloved daughter in 1940s China. A Chinese proverb says, "Falling leaves return to their roots." In her own courageous voice, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph in the face of despair. Adeline's affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her, and life does not get any easier when her father remarries. Adeline and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled with gifts and attention. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for -- the love and understanding of her family. Like the classic Cinderella story, this powerful memoir is a moving story of resilience and hope. Includes an Author's Note, a 6-page photo insert, a historical note, and the Chinese text of the original Chinese Cinderella. A PW BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR AN ALA-YALSA BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS “One of the most inspiring books I have ever read.” –The Guardian

OF COURSE you think Cinderella was the sweetest belle of the ball. You don't know the other side of the story. Well, let me tell you...

Within four days, the date-tree had grown as tall as a woman, and out of it came a Fairy, who said to Zezolla, “What do you wish for?” Before Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, Basile penned the first modern literary version of the Cinderella fairytale. It is the story of Zezolla, the daughter of an Italian Prince, who is betrayed by her governess and forced to live the life of a servant—that is until the King announces a feast. With assistance from a date-tree given to her by the Fairies of Sardinia, Zezolla is able to attend the feast and her life is forever changed. In addition, this book contains The She-Bear—a close variant of The Cat Cinderella, also from Giambattista Basile’s The Pentamerone—for an English readership to enjoy. [Folklore Type: ATU-510: Cinderella and Catskin – A + B (Persecuted Heroine + Unnatural Love)]

The true story of Cinderella begins in the late 16th century with the birth of Germaine Cousin in the small village of Pibrac France. At a tender age her mother is taken away by the plague. Her father quickly remarries a widow who had three daughters of her own. It does not take long before the new stepmother and step-sisters began physically and mentally abusing the little girl. The fable of Cinderella is but child's play compared to the true story recounted in these pages. Indeed, the dark, sinister treatment this little sixteenth-century French shepherdess received, at the hands of her stepmother and three stepsisters, is so appalling that it scandalizes anyone who reads the accounts of her life. This poor little shepherdess is, however, not left completely defenseless, but unlike the fable, the events surrounding her life are true.

"Wholly original and captivating." - Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author of A Curse So Dark and Lonely Girls team up to overthrow the kingdom in this unique and powerful retelling of Cinderella from a stunning new voice that's perfect for fans of Dhonielle Clayton and Melissa Albert. It's 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl's display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again. Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella's mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all--and in the process, they learn that there's more to Cinderella's story than they ever knew . . . This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they've been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.

Although mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella meets her prince with the help of her fairy godmother.

When Cinderella's cruel stepmother forbids her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets unexpected help from her mice friends and her Fairy Godmother. Cinderella attends the ball as a mysterious guest and dances with the prince. At the stroke of the midnight, she loses one of her glass slippers and transforms back into a maid. Will the prince ever find her now? This storybook includes beautiful, full color art in the style of the beloved film, Cinderella.

In the vein of Wicked, The Woodcutter, and Boy, Snow, Bird, a luminous reimagining of a classic tale, told from the perspective of Agnes, Cinderella’s "evil" stepmother. We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we? As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story. . . . A peasant born into serfdom, Agnes is separated from her family and forced into servitude as a laundress’s apprentice when she is only ten years old. Using her wits and ingenuity, she escapes her tyrannical matron and makes her way toward a hopeful future. When teenaged Agnes is seduced by an older man and becomes pregnant, she is transformed by love for her child. Once again left penniless, Agnes has no choice but to return to servitude at the manor she thought she had left behind. Her new position is nursemaid to Ella, an otherworldly infant. She struggles to love the child who in time becomes her stepdaughter and, eventually, the celebrated princess who embodies everyone’s unattainable fantasies. The story of their relationship reveals that nothing is what it seems, that beauty is not always desirable, and that love can take on many guises. Lyrically told, emotionally evocative, and brilliantly perceptive, All the Ever Afters explores the hidden complexities that lie beneath classic tales of good and evil, all the while showing us that how we confront adversity reveals a more profound, and ultimately more important, truth than the ideal of "happily ever after."