The Washington Post called Briar Rose 'a terrifically moving story. Yolen confronts the deeply tragic events of the Holocaust with lyrical prose and rich characterizations that tell a tale of good and evil, hope and despair. Yolen takes the story of Briar Rose (commonly known as Sleeping Beauty) and links it to the Holocaust-a far-from-obvious connection that she makes. Yolen's graceful retelling of the German folktale of 'Briar Rose'-known to some as 'Sleeping Beauty'-sets the story amid forests patrolled by the German army during World War II. Her vow sends Becca on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma's astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. Becca would have sworn the stories were made up, but on her deathbed Gemma extracts from Becca a promise to fulfill three impossible requests: find the castle, find the prince, and find the spell-maker. And in that place of death, Briar Rose is plunged into a deep sleep.Įver since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma's stories of Briar Rose. Corrupted by dark deeds and choked by a poisonous mist, the castle will soon come to be known as Chelmno extermination camp. In the heat of midsummer 1942, deep in a forest in the heart of Poland, Briar Rose arrives at a castle that has fallen into the hands of an evil army. (Sept.Briar Rose is a historically sensitive retelling of Sleeping Beauty set amid forests patrolled by the German army during World War II. Fast and free shipping free returns cash on delivery available on eligible purchase. She handles a difficult subject with finesse in a book that should be required reading for anyone who is tempted to dismiss fantasy as a frivolous genre. Buy Briar Rose: A Novel of the Holocaust by Yolen, Jane, Windling, Terri online on Amazon.ae at best prices. By interpolating Gemma's vivid and imaginative story into the larger narrative, Yolen has created an engrossing novel.

To discover the facts behind Gemma's story, Rebecca travels to Poland, the setting for the book's most engrossing scenes and its most interesting, best-developed characters. Rebecca Berlin, a young woman who has grown up hearing her grandmother Gemma tell an unusual and frightening version of the Sleeping Beauty legend, realizes when Gemma dies that the fairy tale offers one of the very few clues she has to her grandmother's past. Yolen takes the story of Briar Rose (commonly known as Sleeping Beauty) and links it to the Holocaust-a far-from-obvious connection that she makes perfectly convincing. This is one of the series's most ambitious efforts, and only a writer as good as Yolen ( Sister Light, Sister Dark ) could bring it off. Windling's Fairy Tale series has produced several excellent fantasy novels inspired by classic fairy tales.

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