Tired of the usual Disneyfied blonde, sweet, graceful, elegant princesses? Read this book, in which we see a princess unlike any other. I'm glad that it will be reprinted shortly, as a fantasy story this good deserves to be read again and again.
The story opens in the kingdom of Phantasmorania (great name, no?), where the seventh royal princess is born. At first, Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne appears to be like any other beautiful, good-tempered princess. But then a crabby but well-meaning fairy puts a two-edged blessing on her: "You shall be ordinary!" And she is. To the dismay of the royals and the court, Amy is mousy-haired, snub-nosed, freckled, and thoroughly graceless. She prefers romping in the woods to drifting around playing with a golden ball, as her sisters do.
Dismayed, her parents try to rig up a crisis to get her married off. But Amy doesn't want to be treated in such a way, and has no wish to embarrass her family. So she sets off across the woods, and enters a neighboring kingdom, where she becomes a kitchen maid and has to work for the first time in her life. There she befriends a squirrel and a bird - and a mystery "man of all work" named Perry, who becomes her best friend...
M.M. Kaye, best known for her tales of India and other exotic lands, pens a delightful little fantasy story. This is not an epic, nor does it have ground-shattering impact on the world. Instead it is a smaller, more personal story about an ordinary girl who happens to be a princess. Amy's love story is charming as well, since she and Perry CHOOSE rather than are chosen. It also adds an extra dimension to their romance, since they are friends as well. Amy doesn't give in to fate, she makes her own. I know this sounds like a feminist retelling, but it isn't. Believe me, there is no preaching in it - rather it glories in ordinary but overlooked virtues.
The kingdoms in this book are delightfully overstated. The people in the courts tend to be overstuffed, pompous, full of hot-air, and dripping with jewels and impractical clothing. The blonde, beautiful princesses do not have individual personalities, nor do most of the kings and so forth. The more sympathetic characters like Perry, Clorinda, and the crusty water-fairy are both more relaxed and casual, and more realistic. And younger girls will probably want their own Perry.
Writing is fairly un-detailed, but that is in keeping with the fairy-tale motif. Subtle humor is sprinkled through it, such as the fairy godmother's crusty but kindly attitude, and the joke about the prince of Kleptomania, who has to be watched carefully. The dialogue is realistic but never boring, especially when Perry and Amy are talking, or when the courtiers are gabbling among themselves.
Problems? Well, it's way too short. There's no sequel. And the new reprinting -- ay caramba, who chose that cover art? It makes Amy look about five years old - she's supposed to be a teen! I do hope they retain her delightful internal illustrations, including Amy's soggy grandmother, Perry, and the little house in the woods.
This enchanting story will leave you with a smile. One of the best, for people who loved "Ella Enchanted" and "Beauty."
