Goose Chase [Hardcover]

Patrice Kindl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 26, 2001 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Her name is Alexandria Aurora Fortunato, and she is as lovely as the dawn. But that is only one of her problems. There’s also the matter of those three magical gifts of treasure bestowed on her by a mysterious old woman. And King Claudio the Cruel wants to marry her for her beauty and her wealth, and so does his rival, Prince Edmund of Dorloo. Those are two more problems. And, worst of all, she is locked in a tower, with a grille of iron bars and several hundred tons of stone between her and freedom. Some days Alexandria wishes she looked like a pickled onion. Clearly the only thing to do is escape — and, with the aid of her twelve darling goose companions, that’s precisely what Alexandria does.
So begins the adventure of Patrice Kindl’s beguiling heroine. Her flight will take her to strange lands and lead her into perilous situations, all of which the plucky Alexandria views with a wry and witty spirit. Here is a sprightly tale of magic and romance, in which those geese play a most surprising role.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kindl (Owl in Love) once again takes flight, this time proffering an engaging gaggle of a dozen geese and the orphaned Goose Girl who tends them. Eschewing a "once upon a time" opening, the spunky narrator sets the novel's tone: "What do I care for custom? 'Tis my own story I am telling and I will tell it as I please." Goose Girl addresses the audience from the high tower in which she is trapped by a king and prince (from dueling kingdoms), both of whom covet her hand, her golden tresses (which yield gold dust) and her tears (which turn to diamonds), not to mention her beauty the latter three were gifts from a mysterious old woman to whom the girl showed some kindness. Luckily, her 12 charges evade the royals and organize their keeper's rescue. Kindl draws on a wealth of fairy tale lore to describe what follows. The geese deposit Goose Girl in a dilapidated cottage, where a trio of ogresses reside and promptly take her captive; the prince tracks her down, and Baba Yaga fans will recognize a few of the heroine's tricks that help her escape. Next, Goose Girl and the prince are cast into a dungeon belonging to an ally of the aforementioned king (that initial high tower of entrapment is not the only reference to Rapunzel Goose Girl's hair here comes to her aid). Those familiar with the Brothers Grimm's "The Six Swans" may not be surprised by the ending, but it's how Kindl gets there, tying up all loose ends along the way, that will hold readers' attention. Ages 10-14.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-When an orphaned Goose Girl gives bread to an old beggar woman, the hag rewards her with a spell that makes her beautiful and rich, with her tears crystallizing into diamonds and gold dust falling from her hair. The desirable young woman then attracts a tyrannical king and a seemingly dim-witted prince, both of whom want to marry her. Determined to stay single, Alexandria Aurora Fortunato endures imprisonment in a tower; an escape that finds her in the valley of the grave-stealing, cannibalistic yet bumbling ogresses; and other dangers before she learns that she is a princess and that the 12 geese she tended are, in fact, her sisters. Her many adventures, while amusing, bog down the story a bit, leaving readers ready for a resolution. Still, Alexandria is a witty, feisty, no-nonsense feminist, and her tale is told with tongue in cheek and lots of laugh-out-loud humor. While the story bares only slight resemblance to the classic "Goose Girl," other tales are added to the mix: the girl's magical hair grows very long and she wears glass slippers. Kindl's writing is full of imagery and alliteration, and is peppered with old-fashioned and nonsense words that add to the fun. With its touch of romance, this coming-of-age story will appeal to teens who enjoy fantasy based on fairy tales.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (March 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618033777
• ISBN-13: 978-0618033775
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,337,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patrice Kindl's first novel, Owl in Love, was an ALA Notable Book for Children, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and an SCBWI Golden Kite Award Honor Book. She lives in Middleburgh, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LUV IT! I LUV IT! I LUV IT! Get the picture?, June 20, 2003

By 

Brittney Hinson "garnet17" (Ashford, Alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goose Chase (Paperback)

One of the funniest and wittiest fairytales I've read all year. And it's original to boot.

Okay, we have a young goosegirl. She's rather plain, she's not overly fond of bathing or combing her hair, she's poor, alone in the world, and so on...a common peasant. When she shows kindness to a hideous old hag (who happens to be her fairy godmother and who, it may surprise you to know, is not in disguise) she is transformed into a glorious beauty who cries diamonds and brushes gold dust from her hair.

And now we have a goosegirl who is not only beautiful, but filthy rich...and pursued by a prince and a king. But when the goosegirl, Alexandria, refuses to marry either of her suitors, her gift becomes a living nightmare as they lock her in a tower and vow to keep her prisoner until she chooses one of them.

Hmmm. Bachelor number one is a cruel king who rules his country with an iron fist and a cold heart. He has had two other wives who have both died of mysterious causes. He enjoys polishing his weapons and killing small animals. Bachelor number two is a handsome young prince with no intelligence, wit, or conversation. Actually, he is as dumb as mud and, if he is chosen, he will probably be assinated by his rival. As you can see, it will not be an easy choice for our fair goosegirl.

What it will be is a romp through the lands of fairy with a brief nod to several beloved fairytales (Rapunzal, Cinderella, and lots more) that just might end with happily ever after...and true love.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good fun!, May 8, 2002

By 

Kirsten A. Edwards "kannealmstedt" (Duvall, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Goose Chase (Hardcover)

The author of the quirky yet appealing OWL IN LOVE and THE WOMAN IN THE WALL, does it again with a fractured fairy tale loosely (very loosely) based on the story of the Goose Girl. Told in the first person, the heroine (Alexandria Honoria Fortunato)'s distinctive and spunky voice adds to the book's charm as she recounts her attempts to flee from suitors both milquetoast and monstrous. Her fairy-godmother-granted good looks (never mind her ability to brush gold dust from her hair and laugh diamond tears) make Alexandria suspect her suitors' motives. Never mind. After a cross-country flight that includes man-eating ogresses, wicked duchesses, daring prison escapes and re-captures, Alexandria discovers her true identity and, of course, True Love. Sure, you knew she'd Get Her Man in the end, but sometimes it's not so much the destination as the fun of the journey. Fans of Ella Enchanted will eat this one up.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Amusing story, not the best read, June 13, 2006

By 

Kelli "Future Star" (Washington, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Goose Chase (Hardcover)

I had seen really good reviews about this book and was excited to read it. I read it in about two-three hours (it's suprisingly short), and although I enjoyed it, was a little disappointed.

The book starts out funny and engaging, promising that a good story follows. I was immediately surprised, however, at how short the whole tower scene was. We have barely even gotten to know any of the characters before Alexandria is whisked off by her geese. The rest of the book continues this way; the setting changes very quickly and we are left wanting to know a little bit more about the setting and our characters' personalities.

The language used in this book is also very annoying and a bit confusing; it's sort of a medieval dialect mixed with a little bit of other random speech. There are also a few continuity problems that can be spotted throughout.

While I thought it was very clever how Kindl was able to incorporate so many different fairy tales into one novel, I was really not impressed by the ending. She moves the story along so fast that it makes the ending, although a bit predictable, very unbelievable. The book keeps leading up to something; and then it ends, a bit disappointingly.

If you want an amusing, light, fun little read, then I would recommend Goose Chase. I think this book would be more appropriate and suprising for younger children. I did have fun reading it, but if you really want to read an excellent, more engaging re-telling of a fairy tale (or tales), I would really recommend something else.

Kelli

Future Star