A review by willowy
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

5.0

Years ago I bought this book, but at the time I wasn't an avid reader, and I was also pretty young, and the book was a little long for me. I never finished it until a few days ago. I am so happy I decided to try again, because it is a really great book. The writing is superb, and I'm extremely jealous of Shannon Hale.

The Goose Girl is a retelling of a fairy-tale told by the Brothers Grimm. I had never read the original fairy-tale, but after finishing the book, I researched it a bit, and found many similarities between the original tale, and this book. The book centers on Princess Anidori of Kildenree, who is betrothed to a Prince from the rival Kingdom of Bayern.

On the way there, she is betrayed by her lady in waiting, Selia, who travels to Bayern, claiming she is Princess Anidori. Her guards dead, Anidori makes it to Bayern with the help of a woman named Gilsa, and her son Finn.

She disguises herself, covering her blonde hair with a wrap, and darkens her eyebrows with thornroot. In Bayern she gets a job tending geese, and hopes to find a way to speak to the King and explain what has happened.

There was a twist at the end of the book that I did not see coming at all. And the ending, is of course, a happy one.