Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" [Mass Market Paperback]

Tonight, I returned to the lighter world of the traditional fairy tale for something to read with Cameron Dokey's Before Midnight. Part of an ongoing series of rewritten stories for young adults called Once Upon a Time, this one goes back to one of the more well-known stories about a maiden and a shoe fetish, so to speak.

A girl is born on a day of storms in the seaside castle, with the same reddish hair and green eyes of her mother, and strange and magical signs surround her birth. But in being born, the child takes her mother's life, and her father, Etienne, does not learn of her birth until he arrives with a newborn boy in his arms two weeks later. In despair over his wife's death, he curses his daughter, saying only that he never wants to see or know of her ever again. As to the baby boy, he says only that he is to never leave the lands of the castle. She is Cendrillon, the child of the cinders, and he Raoul, who grows up to be a stableboy.

Told in first person by Cendrillon, we find out that she has a talent for gardening and making wishes. For her, the wishes made on her birthday tend to come true, no matter how prosperous or dire the consequences. Raised by Old Mathilde, who attended her birth, and asked to be her godmother, she is a wise girl, content to be in and of her home, but also wishing for the love from her distant father, who never asks after her. Ever.

One year, a stranger arrives at the door, Niccolo, who has washed up on the beach below the castle. He becomes part of the household, sharing tasks with Raoul, who has become the best friend for Cendrillon. Another wish brings the biggest change however, when word comes that her father has married a widow with two daughters, and they are coming to live with Cendrillon and the rest -- evidently Etienne has little use for women in his life.

The stepmother, Chantal, and her daughters, Amelie and Anastasia, are the big change in the story. I was rather pleasantly surprised by them both, and the bold step that Dokey takes with the traditional roles. I don't want to reveal any more of the plot here, because half of the enjoyment of reading it was to find the new twists that the author took with this.

Cendrillon is not a doormat either; she boldly speaks up for herself, and is not the drudge-of-all-work, abused and forgotten. Here she is a strong young woman, with a couple of character flaws, that unfortunately the rest of the novel lacks. There are other traditional elements here, from the prince choosing his bride from all of the nobly born maidens of the kingdom, pumpkins, but it is also rather down-to-earth as well. It also has humour to it as well, which helps to lighten the story considerably.

My greatest disappointment with it was the setting of a sort of medieval-renaissance world with all of the traditional trappings. While I suppose that it was necessary, it would have been nice to see a bit of change here.

Dokey in the author's afterword speaks about the origins of the story, from the Brothers Grimm to the older Charles Perrault that gives the true name of Cinderella. The novel isn't very long, just under two hundred pages, so there isn't much room for much development for the characters, but the writing and plotting is fairly tight, and the author doesn't forget to put in some descriptive passages that create some lovely imagry.

More than suitable for most teenaged readers, and adults who don't mind an excursion back to the lands of wonder. Recommended.

This tale has always been one of my favorite fairy tales and I have loved some of the different renditions of it like "Ever After" and "Diary of an Ugly Stepsister". "Before Midnight" is another great addition to the retellings of Cinderella. In this revision, Constanze de Brabant, or Cendrillion has been abandoned by her father Etienne because of the death of her mother. She is raised in obscurity with a mysterious boy Raoul by Old Mathilde until a noblewoman, Chantal de Saint-Andre, with her two daughters Amelie and Anastasia arrive. Chantal has married Etienne and she is now Cendrillion's stepmother, but Chantal is never told until secrets are discovered. I love the scene where they open Cendrillion's mother's room and see her portrait. Here Chantal exclaims it is so wicked of Etienne to throw away the most precious gift of all, Love. It is also in this scene that Cendrillion gets her wish of having a family at last.

I will not add too many spoilers and explain who Raoul really is and what happens at the "ball" but this tale which emphasizes the importance of embracing love and all the other feelings that come with it; is so lovingly rendered that both young and old romantics will love it.

Fifteen-year-old Constanze d'Este (La Cendrillon to her friends and family) has never known her father. For on the day of her birth, as opposed to coming into the world without a care, Cendrillon was left with the burden of knowing that her mother lost her life, and never had the chance to know the daughter whom she loved for each and every moment that she spent living. Cendrillon's father, Etienne de Brabant, is utterly heartbroken over the death of his magnificent wife. Dying in childbirth, at a time when he was not present, he never had the opportunity to say goodbye to his dearly beloved, and blames his infant daughter, who he cannot bring himself to name. Given her mother's name by Old Mathilde, Cendrillon never sees her father again. But, of course, Etienne did not part for the king and his court without leaving a little something - a child. Old Mathilde agrees to take care of Cendrillon, and the boy of her age who was brought to the stone cottage, whom she quickly names Raoul. The two are raised beside one another, Cendrillon with the memories of her shattered family, Raoul with no memories to speak of, and no family to dream of. The two live in the care of the servants around them for almost sixteen years, until a beautiful woman with porcelain skin named Chantal de Saint-Andre, accompanied by her two, equally beautiful daughters, Amelie and Anastasia. Cendrillon is shocked to learn that this is her new stepmother and stepsisters. While her father does not accompany his new wife, he sends his new family to the stone cottage, away from the kingdom, where they cannot get in his way. However, upon their arrival, Chantal de Saint-Andre and her daughters have no idea who Cendrillon truly is, and believe that she is nothing more than a servant girl. Even so, Cendrillon is not mistreated, and, as time passes, and her new family learns the truth, they embrace her as if they were one of her own, providing Cendrillon with the family she has craved for all of these years. When an invitation arrives at the stone cottage, ordering that each and every eligible noblewoman in the kingdom attend the great ball so the Prince can choose a wife, Cendrillon is surprised to find herself included in the festivities. She has never worn a gown of fine silk, or slippers that are lovely, yet pinch your toes; but Chantal de Saint-Andre demands that Cendrillon attend the ball as well, stating that she is just as much a noblewoman as her very own daughters. When a letter arrives from her father, however, demanding that it is not appropriate for his new wife and her daughters to attend the ball, Chantal de Saint-Andre makes a decision that could change the course of everyone's lives - including Raoul's. Yet, at the same time, lead both Cendrillon and Raoul to the destiny's that have been awaiting them for so many years. And give them the chance to make a choice that will challenge everything they have ever known - from family to courage, and loyalty to believing in oneself.

Since the ONCE UPON A TIME... series hit bookstores, I have always eagerly awaited the various installments to see how some of my favorite fairytales have been reworded, and re-spun. However, in all the years that I have been reading these stories, not one of them has left such a lasting effect on me as BEFORE MIDNIGHT. While CINDERELLA has never been one of my favorite fairytales, Cameron Dokey has put such a unique, and intercultural French spin on it, that it has quickly one a place in my heart. From page one, Dokey's profound, lyrical writing sparkles. Her words are poignant and beautiful, and really take the reader into the story, making them feel as if they are baking alongside Cendrillon in the warm kitchen of the stone cottage; or even sleeping in the stables alongside the horses and Raoul, the wind howling violently in the background. Cendrillon is a character whom you can't help but love. Her beauty, which is oft-times hidden, is unmatchable; while her belief that dreams can come true make her appear optimistic and charming, even when she is upset, or seen with tears in her eyes. Her bond with Raoul is touching, and truly embraces the love between a brother and sister, even if they are not related by blood. Old Mathilde is like a fairy godmother, whose ability to cure anything, and heal all types of pain makes her an indispensable character, whose love for her two charges is unstoppable. However, what was so refreshing was seeing how Dokey changed the course of the story, putting a kinder spin on the stepmother and step-sisters, and making them lovable, as opposed to evil. Even by making them a friendly bunch, however, they make no comparison to Cendrillon. In the realm of re-tellings, Dokey is the queen.

Erika Sorocco

Freelance Reviewer

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 27 reviews  4.2 out of 5 stars