Briar Rose
by Jane Yolen
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Description
The tale of Sleeping Beauty and the dark tale of the Holocaust twined together in a story of darkness and redemption.Tags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Cecrow YA-geared fiction relating to the Holocaust
Cecrow Same author, also YA about the Holocaust.
Jenson_AKA_DL Although one book is fiction and the other a true account there are many similarities between the story told in the latter part of "Briar Rose" and the whole story of "Damned Strong Love" for those who may be interested.
aulsmith Two stories that intertwine characters from elsewhere with the Holocaust. Both are affecting in their own ways.
Member Reviews
For all of her life, Becca has listened to her grandmother, Gemma, tell her own version of Sleeping Beauty. After Gemma dies, Becca realizes that the only thing she really knows about her is that she survived the Holocaust. While going through Gemma's things, the Becca finds clues to the mystery of Gemma's life which lead her to Poland, where she hopes to find out her grandmother's real name and where she came from.
I remember reading this book as a teenager and liking it, but rereading it now, I see just how much I missed. There are so many little details in Gemma's Sleeping Beauty story that are parallels to what happened in the Holocaust. Yolen did a fantastic job of juxtaposing history into a fairy tale. After I finished reading it, show more I wanted to go back and reread the whole thing again just to see what clues I missed along the way. I definitely recommend this book. show less
I remember reading this book as a teenager and liking it, but rereading it now, I see just how much I missed. There are so many little details in Gemma's Sleeping Beauty story that are parallels to what happened in the Holocaust. Yolen did a fantastic job of juxtaposing history into a fairy tale. After I finished reading it, show more I wanted to go back and reread the whole thing again just to see what clues I missed along the way. I definitely recommend this book. show less
This book is so unexpected in its prose and story that I almost feel like any review can’t do it justice, but here’s an attempt. Yolen writes under the guise of Terri WIndling’s Fairy Tale Series, a group of books bound by a common theme of traditional fairytales retold for modern times, and brings the tale of Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose to stark life during the modern era. Her story is set in contemporary times, sometime during the late 1980s/early 1990s, but turns its eyes to the past to examine the events of World War II. Like many of the second generation after the War (and any good fairytale knight), our protagonist Becca finds herself on an unexpected quest after the death of her Grandmother reveals that there were many show more questions left unanswered about her life before coming to America. Her grandmother always told the story to Becca and her sisters (and their children) the story of Briar Rose, the Sleeping Beauty, but not in the way that most modern tellers are used to hearing. In Gemma’s version Briar Rose’s tale is filled with dark men, symbols of eagles, and a risen fog that puts the princess’ castle to sleep - with only the princess awakening in the end. Becca’s quest for answers leads her inevitably back to Poland, and to Chelmno, one of the most notorious Death Camps operated by the Nazis where extremely few survivors have ever been revealed, and eventually her grandmother’s story is revealed. It is not surprising to readers that Gemma hid her past and chose to forget, but Yolen’s intertwining of her life inside the mysterious roots of folklore is a unique method of exploring themes of trauma and collective memory. show less
Jane Yolen developed an unlikely premise of melding the Sleeping Beauty story with the Holocaust and created magic. Becca's grandmother has died, leaving a mystery surrounding her identity. The clues are an oft-told bedtime story and a box of relics. This story tweaked my genealogy, history and mystery interests all at the same time. The author walks on sensitive ground here and it's sensitively told. The style may be geared to younger readers but it comes with mature-enough dialogue, scenes and situations to satisfy any adult. The "kids" can handle it (its back cover recommends 13 and up). They need to. Probably the best YA novel I've read, and one of the best novels I've read this year.
Edit: the new 2015 preface is available online, show more with fantastic background about the writing of this novel: http://www.tor.com/2016/03/23/excerpts-briar-rose-preface-jane-yolen/#more-20876... show less
Edit: the new 2015 preface is available online, show more with fantastic background about the writing of this novel: http://www.tor.com/2016/03/23/excerpts-briar-rose-preface-jane-yolen/#more-20876... show less
His voice had a wonderful flow to it, and even the awful things he had to say were beautifully said." This book in a nutshell.
It blew me away. You cannot "enjoy" a book about the Holocaust; that's not the right word, not least because even though the characters are fictional, the horror of their stories is not. However, the juxtaposition of those stories with the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty creates a heart-rending, gut-punching, thought-provoking, powerfully meaningful and relatable MASTERPIECE. I often had to put the book down, breathe, and work through what I just read. I had to walk away between scenes in the last half of the book because it was so difficult, so intense to experience. The way Jane Yolen uses the tale of Sleeping show more Beauty as a way for Gemma to reconcile her past, the role the tale plays in the characters' lives, how different characters hear and interpret it differently, how their expectations for it differ and what those reactions mean in relation to Gemma's past...wow. Just wow. This book is truly in a league of its own. show less
It blew me away. You cannot "enjoy" a book about the Holocaust; that's not the right word, not least because even though the characters are fictional, the horror of their stories is not. However, the juxtaposition of those stories with the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty creates a heart-rending, gut-punching, thought-provoking, powerfully meaningful and relatable MASTERPIECE. I often had to put the book down, breathe, and work through what I just read. I had to walk away between scenes in the last half of the book because it was so difficult, so intense to experience. The way Jane Yolen uses the tale of Sleeping show more Beauty as a way for Gemma to reconcile her past, the role the tale plays in the characters' lives, how different characters hear and interpret it differently, how their expectations for it differ and what those reactions mean in relation to Gemma's past...wow. Just wow. This book is truly in a league of its own. show less
Although a YA book, this was VERY VERY well written, especially the latter part about the holocaust.
I didn't hugely engage with the modern-day bulk of the book (though it wasnt bad, and IS aimed at 13+). Set in a middle class Jewish-American household, grandma is dying and leaves a secret to be uncovered by favourite granddaughter Becca.
This takes her to Poland, the remains of the extermination camp at Chelmno, and an old man who remembers...
After the fairly frothy teen narrative up till now, this is very dark and harrowing, and extremely powerful writing.
I didn't hugely engage with the modern-day bulk of the book (though it wasnt bad, and IS aimed at 13+). Set in a middle class Jewish-American household, grandma is dying and leaves a secret to be uncovered by favourite granddaughter Becca.
This takes her to Poland, the remains of the extermination camp at Chelmno, and an old man who remembers...
After the fairly frothy teen narrative up till now, this is very dark and harrowing, and extremely powerful writing.
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
4 stars
This is a holocaust story, not to be confused with the fairy tale of the title. I read every word from the dedication ( For Charles and Maryann de Lint) to the last word of the index and every word was worthwhile. This is a story of a granddaughter searching for her Polish roots after the death of her grandmother. There are few clues, but one of them is her grandmother’s constant retelling of the story of Briar Rose. Like The Book Thief, this story tells about the Holocaust from a different angle. I’ve not read much about treatment of gay people and gypsies except for statements that included them in the slaughter. The most chilling point was that the survival of the main characters was so random. show more There was much bravery and sacrifice but those qualities had little to do with survival. I know it’s been said before, but telling the story is important. The generation that was there is dying. Those who survived, those who witnessed are dying. The contemporary characters in this book make it clear that there is a wish to forget, to sweep the details under the rug of history. I think books like this one and The Book Thief should be required reading. show less
4 stars
This is a holocaust story, not to be confused with the fairy tale of the title. I read every word from the dedication ( For Charles and Maryann de Lint) to the last word of the index and every word was worthwhile. This is a story of a granddaughter searching for her Polish roots after the death of her grandmother. There are few clues, but one of them is her grandmother’s constant retelling of the story of Briar Rose. Like The Book Thief, this story tells about the Holocaust from a different angle. I’ve not read much about treatment of gay people and gypsies except for statements that included them in the slaughter. The most chilling point was that the survival of the main characters was so random. show more There was much bravery and sacrifice but those qualities had little to do with survival. I know it’s been said before, but telling the story is important. The generation that was there is dying. Those who survived, those who witnessed are dying. The contemporary characters in this book make it clear that there is a wish to forget, to sweep the details under the rug of history. I think books like this one and The Book Thief should be required reading. show less
Not since Bitter Greens and Deathless have I read a fairy-tale retelling that truly embraced the power of historical context. I think one of the best types of retellings understands that fairy tales were not written (or read) in a vacuum. Much like horror stories, fairy tales have always explored the tellers' fears and desires, and often subverted mainstream societal norms and constraints. By choosing to blend history (whether real or imagined) with fairy tale, the retelling gains a quasi-realism and authenticity that both enthralls and educates. Maybe even inspires the reader to search out non-fiction based on actual people, places and events.
Having said that, the fairy tale in Yolen's book was not being retold as much as it was being show more used as the catalyst for a granddaughter's research into her grandmother's history, a past her Gemma never spoke directly about. She would instead tell her three granddaughters the tale of Sleeping Beauty. And at the end of her life, their Gemma began telling them that she was Sleeping Beauty, that it was her story. Of course, most of the family thought her senile, possibly demented. But with her dying breath Gemma begged her youngest (and favorite) granddaughter, Becca, to find "the castle." When Becca promised she would, the quest for Gemma's true story was underway.
Be warned: If you're looking for a story along the same lines as Sleeping Beauty by Jane Yolen or Princess Sonora by Gail Carson Levine, Briar Rose is not the book for you. Yolen went dark, we're talking pitch black, with her retelling of this well-known tale of Sleeping Beauty. What else would a reader expect when the jacket blurb includes the word Holocaust? How could anyone actually expect anything less than brutal and heartbreaking? My advice to anyone looking for fluffy fairy tales: skip this book. However, if you're looking for a mix of historical fiction and fairy tale, or an exploration into how fairy tales and stories (or fiction in general) might be used by someone to cope with tragedy, read this book!
4.5 stars
In response to reviews mentioning the "graphic" homosexuality in Briar Rose and its being "inappropriate" for young readers:
Seriously?!! I was shocked at the multiple reviews I read that condemned this book for its inclusion of homosexuality. Were readers unaware of the fact that homosexuals were also persecuted in the Holocaust? (Or throughout history?) I did not remember reading anything "graphic" in Briar Rose, so I went back and re-read Josef's story.
First, though, reviewers commented on Becca having a lesbian friend. That's it. Just having a lesbian friend was offensive to those reviewers.
Second, Josef Potocki's part of the story, "Castle," which reviewers said had "graphic" descriptions of the character's "promiscuity" and gay sex. There were brief references to losing his virtue in college, to being in his lover's arms. I counted three lovers over a span of several years, perhaps even a decade.
Here's the only "graphic" description I found. Josef was talking about his lover, a Viennese politician, "They made love during Hitler's victory speech, a horrible, angry, passionate thrusting, that left Josef bruised and somewhat stunned. He had planned to have a long talk with his lover about being more gentle the next morning. But when he woke, he found the man dead in the marble bath, his wrists still bleeding soft red lines into the tub (135)."
One reviewer even commented they didn't like that there was a homosexual priest, which made me laugh because that reviewer obviously did not pay attention enough to know that Josef was not a priest. He was a friend of Father Stashu, the priest at the church in present day Chelmno. I was able to easily glean that information during my first reading.
I was saddened to read those people's reviews. It breaks my heart for those reviewers to hold so much hate in their hearts. Yet their ignorance and intolerance reminded me that we're still a long way away from the world I dream of, one in which everyone is allowed the freedom to be who they are and one in which differences are celebrated instead of persecuted. show less
Having said that, the fairy tale in Yolen's book was not being retold as much as it was being show more used as the catalyst for a granddaughter's research into her grandmother's history, a past her Gemma never spoke directly about. She would instead tell her three granddaughters the tale of Sleeping Beauty. And at the end of her life, their Gemma began telling them that she was Sleeping Beauty, that it was her story. Of course, most of the family thought her senile, possibly demented. But with her dying breath Gemma begged her youngest (and favorite) granddaughter, Becca, to find "the castle." When Becca promised she would, the quest for Gemma's true story was underway.
Be warned: If you're looking for a story along the same lines as Sleeping Beauty by Jane Yolen or Princess Sonora by Gail Carson Levine, Briar Rose is not the book for you. Yolen went dark, we're talking pitch black, with her retelling of this well-known tale of Sleeping Beauty. What else would a reader expect when the jacket blurb includes the word Holocaust? How could anyone actually expect anything less than brutal and heartbreaking? My advice to anyone looking for fluffy fairy tales: skip this book. However, if you're looking for a mix of historical fiction and fairy tale, or an exploration into how fairy tales and stories (or fiction in general) might be used by someone to cope with tragedy, read this book!
4.5 stars
Seriously?!! I was shocked at the multiple reviews I read that condemned this book for its inclusion of homosexuality. Were readers unaware of the fact that homosexuals were also persecuted in the Holocaust? (Or throughout history?) I did not remember reading anything "graphic" in Briar Rose, so I went back and re-read Josef's story.
First, though, reviewers commented on Becca having a lesbian friend. That's it. Just having a lesbian friend was offensive to those reviewers.
Second, Josef Potocki's part of the story, "Castle," which reviewers said had "graphic" descriptions of the character's "promiscuity" and gay sex. There were brief references to losing his virtue in college, to being in his lover's arms. I counted three lovers over a span of several years, perhaps even a decade.
Here's the only "graphic" description I found. Josef was talking about his lover, a Viennese politician, "They made love during Hitler's victory speech, a horrible, angry, passionate thrusting, that left Josef bruised and somewhat stunned. He had planned to have a long talk with his lover about being more gentle the next morning. But when he woke, he found the man dead in the marble bath, his wrists still bleeding soft red lines into the tub (135)."
One reviewer even commented they didn't like that there was a homosexual priest, which made me laugh because that reviewer obviously did not pay attention enough to know that Josef was not a priest. He was a friend of Father Stashu, the priest at the church in present day Chelmno. I was able to easily glean that information during my first reading.
I was saddened to read those people's reviews. It breaks my heart for those reviewers to hold so much hate in their hearts. Yet their ignorance and intolerance reminded me that we're still a long way away from the world I dream of, one in which everyone is allowed the freedom to be who they are and one in which differences are celebrated instead of persecuted.
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Author Information
655+ Works 103,806 Members
Jane Yolen was born February 11, 1939 in New York City. She received a bachelor's degree from Smith College in 1960 and a master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts in 1976. After college, she became an editor in New York City and wrote during her lunch break. She sold her first children's book, Pirates in Petticoats, at the show more age of 22. Since then, she has written over 300 books for children, young adults, and adults. Her other works include the Emperor and the Kite, Owl Moon, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? and The Devil's Arithmetic. She has won numerous awards including the Kerlan Award, the Regina Medal, the Keene State Children's Literature Award, the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards, the Golden Kite Award, the Jewish Book Award, the World Fantasy Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Association of Jewish Libraries Award. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1992
- People/Characters
- Rebecca Berlin; Gemma Stein ; Dawna Prinz; Gitl Mandlestein; Sylvia Berlin; Shana Berlin (show all 12); Stan; Harvey Goldman; Magda Bronski; Josef Potocki; Aron Mandlestein; Ksiezniczka
- Important places
- Chełmno extermination camp, Chełmno nad Nerem, Greater Poland, Poland; Warsaw, Poland; Sachsenhausen concentration camp, Oranienburg, Brandenburg, Germany; Holyoke, New York, USA; Oswego, New York, USA; Bydgoszcz, Kuyavian-Pomerania, Poland
- Important events
- World War II (1939 | 1945)
- Epigraph
- "...(B)oth the oral and the literary forms of the fairy tale are grounded in history: they emanate from specific struggles to humanize bestial and barbaric forces, which have terrorized our minds and communities in concrete ... (show all)ways, threatening to destroy free will and human compassion. The fairy tale sets out to conquer this concrete terror through metaphors." --Jack Snipes, "Spells of Enchantment"
- Dedication
- For Charles and MaryAnn De Lint
and Susan Swartz - Just Because
With Special Thanks to Barbara Diamond Goldin, Staszek Radosh, Linda Mannheim, Betsy Pucci, Peter Gherlone, Mary Teifke, Alissa Gehan, Susan Landau, an... (show all)d Scott Scanlon for their research help. Any mistakes made in the presentation of that material are mine alone. - First words
- "Gemma, tell your story again," Shana begged, putting her arms around her grandmother and breathing in that special smell of talcum and lemon that seemed to belong only to her.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And one child in her arms, the other at her heels, she went directly up the stairs.
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