The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin
"Once upon a Time" Is Timeless
The year is 1880, and Bertie, having just arrived in New York with her family, is grateful to be given work as a seamstress in the home of textile tycoon J. P. Wellington. When the Wellington family fortune is threatened, Bertie's father boasts that Bertie will save the business, that she is so skillful she can "practically spin straw into gold."
Amazingly, in the course of one night, Bertie creates exquisite evening gowns – with the help of Ray Stalls, a man from her tenement who uses an old spinning wheel to create dresses that are woven with crimson thread and look as though they are spun with real gold. Indebted to Ray, Bertie asks how she can repay him. When Ray asks for her firstborn child, Bertie agrees, never dreaming that he is serious...
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Suzanne Weyn
Suzanne Weyn (born 1955) is an American author. She primarily writes children's science fiction and fantasy novels. Though she has written over fifty novels and short stories, she is best known for The Bar Code Tattoo and Bar Code Rebellion.
The Bar Code Tattoo has been translated into German, and in 2007 was nominated for the prestgious Jugendliteraturepreis for youth literature given by the German government. It was also a 2007 Nevada Library nominee for Young Adult literature and American Library Assoc. 05 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Kliatt online review called it "A great book."
Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time consists of 8 total books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Reviews and Comments
I really enjoyed reading this retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin" and did not want to put it down! The characters are really interesting as well as complex and I especially liked the role that Rumpelstiltskin played in this retelling.