Rose Daughter

Where Beauty is a sweet, simple retelling of the story, Rose Daughter reflects a more complex and detailed telling. It was engrossing, reminding me of the way I felt reading Pegasus - it was a story that got deep inside me, invading my dreams and making me think. There's more magic, more danger, more development of both characters and the story. It's a complicated story that tugs at the heart and gets into your head. It's a story that requires more of you, as reader, than Beauty did. And I like that. Actually, I love that - I want to get involved with the books I'm reading. (Though I will say I'm very glad I didn't end up crying my eyes out while reading this one like I did during Pegasus!) I was swept up in the story and carried along show more until the ending - which caught my entirely by surprise. And yet, even though I wasn't expecting it to end the way it did, I was pleased - delightfully happy - with the ending. show less

Everyone knows the story of Beauty and the Beast. What makes McKinley's Rose Daughter different is the treatment of Beast. Yes, the moral of the story still stands that true love is blind and even a beast can find love...eventually. Yes, Beauty is selfless and kind, a lover of all nature (even bats and toads), but missing is the feeling she is a prisoner; that she is trapped with the beast. In Rose Daughter she can go home at any time. All she has to do is tend to the Beast's roses to repay him for the dark red one her father stole. The other major difference is that Beauty does not end up with a charming prince at the end. I greatly appreciated the choices she had to make, especially the one at the end.
As an aside: Straight away you show more know you are in for a treat when a bad-tempered dragon on a leash is introduced on the very first page. show less

"Rose Daughter" is Robin McKinley's second take on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, and boy did I have trouble with it as a teenager. I think it is because it is definitely a more mature look at the story; I just reread it for the second time after several years and this time around I understood the intent behind this new rendition.
This isn't intended to be cryptic, just to explain that as an idealist teenager, there were some things I didn't "get" about McKinley's new version.
One very interesting aspect of the story is that it is much more directly allegorical than her first book, "Beauty." In this retelling, Beauty's sisters are named "Jeweltongue" and "Lionheart," and they interact with characters such as the seamstress, "Mrs. show more Bestcloth," and the squire, "Mr. Trueword." The core of the story is the familiar arch of the merchant's family that loses everything in financial ruin, and moves to the country in their hardship. Of course Beauty sacrifices herself in order to save her father when he steals a rose from the castle of a mysterious Beast, and of course she ends up falling in love with this Beast. But the depth with which McKinley paints the experience of loneliness, regret, and heartbreak is something quite beautiful to read, and hard to describe in just a few short paragraphs. Read this for a moving love story (one with a lot of beautiful descriptions of roses). show less

The most amazing thing about this book is that it is so completely different from Ms. McKinley's first re-writing of beauty and the beast. Almost everything about the first book is turned on its head in this re-telling - and yet, I love it equally well. Some things I thought were fun: all the names of people (and even places) are descriptive (Lionheart, Jeweltongue, Longchance). They all suggest things about character and fit well with the main characters (whose names are certainly roles too). The roses are a treasure trove for any rose gardener - there is so much about them. The scents and colors and personalities are all loving described as only someone who loves roses could do. I liked the ending - the idea that love can transcend show more appearance and it doesn't have to be rewarded in the end with perfection (physical or otherwise). Very satisfying to read this re-visiting of the famous fairy tale - and the author's note at the end is a bonus! show less

I spent most of this thinking I liked this more than Beauty, and I think I still do--the ending just has me bewildered and mildly annoyed. 4* still because it was gorgeous, dreamy and rich with description I feel I could smell and taste, but that's just McKinley... which also unfortunately makes it SLOWWW... as a retelling, it doesn't stick nearly as close to the source as Beauty does, adds a wild set of magic... I hesitate to say rules or systems at all, none of it makes any real solid sense... just magic... and lore which changes the purpose of the Beast I don't entirely understand the purpose of the paintings--I figured it would wind up the same as always, the Beast changed due to hubris and greed and avarice and Beauty seeing the show more paintings and recognizing him... but they were just there and for what given the Beast was really the kind philosopher and not the villain of the original story?? and again the ending was not ideal, but also after reading the author's note I wonder if she simply felt like changing it up that much in comparison to her first retelling but why like that lmaooo kind of defeats the purpose of the original fairytale?? Many people have mentioned it makes them feel gross and I would like to concur bro I do not like that. I don't know. This is an odd one for a retelling. However, pretty if slow. Do not understand the reason for all the sorcerer strife or even what they DO in GENERAL. Shoutout to cats and to ghosts and to sisters who fight for love.

Edit, later… this is one of the books where I actually am going to lower the rating later because I think about it and am simply befuddled… the ending, mostly, to continue to reiterate myself, but many other things.
However, I’d also like to acknowledge the deliberate storytelling Beauty takes a hold of in one particularly trippy scene and knowing she’ll tell the story later, and the layers of stories the surrounding characters narrate to create the tapestry of curse and rhyme and reason which the Beast and the greenwitch are entangled in—by their own doing—but it’s gorgeous and so very McKinley. not enough to rescue the rating unfortunately. show less

Beauty and her sisters Jeweltongue and Lionheart have to restart their lives after their merchant father loses everything and they move to Rose Cottage, outside a small town. They begin to rebuild their lives as one sister discovers a talent for sewing, the other for horses, and Beauty herself brings back the garden - and the roses - of the cottage. But then their father leaves on a journey and, on his return, gets caught in a storm where he finds shelter in a castle. And... well, you know the rest, don't you?

A delightful retelling of Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite fairy tales, and not the first time McKinley has tackled it (indeed, I read Beauty back in 2008, but alas, I wasn't writing reviews for every book at the time and I show more don't remember it). Some of McKinley's style is lost on me, unfortunately, because I don't picture what I read clearly, and she writes with intricate detail about the castle and garden and... it kept slowing me down and made it hard for me to follow when I just wanted to know what would happen next. But I did love the sisterly bonds, and the way in which Beauty makes friends at the castle with the animals and roses. show less

You know the story of the Beauty and the Beast. Of course you do. Disney even made a movie, right?
You know nothing.
Rose Daughter is a lyrical, fantastic and grounded retelling of the fairy tale. Three sisters, reduced by penury by their father's bankruptcy, remake their lives in a remote cottage surrounded by rose bushes.
The oldest daughter disguises herself and becomes a groom to work with the horses she loves, and the middle daughter discovers a passion and talent for sewing and becomes a renowned seamstress. The third daughter, Beauty, tends their ailing father and makes the cottage garden prosper and the roses bloom for the first time in decades.
This is a YA, so not all that long, and I can't really bear to tell you more of the show more plot because it's just so beautiful. And I'm not being ironic here. The language made me want to put on slippers of gold cloth and dance, or dig my fingers in the dirt - go read it. There are strong themes of family – the three sisters who learn to value themselves – and family - the three sisters who learn to value each other – and the glory of love. show less