I picked this book up after seeing it on a “Most Anticipated Books of 2026” list, but I was skeptical. It’s a retelling of Cinderella but from the perspective of the stepmother. I thought it was part of the Disney Villains YA series and was confused as to why it was getting picked up for celebrity book clubs. But apparently, despite the protagonist sharing a name with the stepmother in the Disney version, this book is, as far as I can tell, unaffiliated with Disney (I guess the name wasn’t under copyright? I don’t know). Even though I came into it with low expectations, I ended up enjoying this book quite a lot.
Etheldreda Tremaine is a twice-widowed mother of two daughters, and stepmother of one stepdaughter. She is shrewd and pragmatic, and loves her daughters fiercely. As a widow, she is keenly aware of the precarious position women inhabit in her society, and the stability and security granted by a respectable marriage. She encourages her daughters to keep up appearances and play by the rules of society, not out of vanity or egotism, but out of self-preservation. When an invitation to a royal ball appears at the house, Ethel is thrilled. This will be a great opportunity for all three of her girls to be introduced to society and start building the connections necessary to make a match. But her hopes are dashed when she realizes the invitation is only for Elin, the stepdaughter.
A quick note on Elin, the Cinderella character- she is such an obnoxious character and I love how she is written. She feels like a stereotypical Disney princess, but since she lives in the world, her sanctimoniousness and delicacy are just grating. Does Ethel always treat her stepdaughter with the utmost kindness? Not really, but I would also have a hard time being patient with someone who openly lured rodents into the house to befriend them, or who spoke in moralistic maxims while refusing to get her hands dirty. Ethel’s insistence on Elin completing chores before she can attend the ball is presented less as a cruel game, and more as a desperate attempt to get Elin to contribute to the household even a fraction as much as her hard-working stepsisters do.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked that the protagonist was a middle-aged woman, and that she was flawed. I liked watching Ethel move from practicality to a measure of hope, and learn to step outside the rules of society and claim her own happiness. This is a surprisingly good fairytale retelling with a fascinating protagonist.
