Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Flying had come naturally to her..." (more)
Key Phrases: Aunt Hazel, Lord Brevington, Dame Meredith (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Seven gems based on traditional fairy tales make up this collection of unique short stories. In these beautifully written, sometimes harsh retellings, Cinderella craves the deaths of her wicked stepmother and stepsisters; Rapunzel is actually Rampion, the deceptive daughter of a kindly witch; and Erin, one of the seven dwarfs, falls in love with Snow White. Each freshly named fairy tale is told from an untraditional perspective, such as the harp from Jack and the Beanstalk, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, and a crippled child in The Pied Piper. Each contains enough clues to guide teens back to the familiar and sometimes innuendo-laden classic fairy tales of their childhoods, and Guay’s fantastical pencil drawings, a few of which include modestly posed nudes, enhance the sense of character and magic. Twisted, clever, and artfully written, these are high-quality additions to the fractured fairy-tale genre. Grades 9-12. --Frances Bradburn

Review

“Rebecca Guay's curvaceous pencil drawings will draw fans to this worthwhile collection of sensuous fantasy." Kirkus May 1, 2008

Kirkus Reviews

"Twisted, clever, and artfully written, these are high-quality additions to the fractured fairy-tale genre." Booklist, April 15, 2008 Booklist, ALA

"The overall collection is...edgy, and the striking cover and wide-ranging stories will easily draw in readers." Bulletin June 2008 Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This lovely addition to the genre of retold fairy tales, with Guay's ethereal black-and-white illustrations, will appeal to older teen and adult fairy tale fans." 3Q3p VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (May 19, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0618747974 ISBN-13: 978-0618747979 Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #487,880 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Flying had come naturally to her. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Aunt Hazel, Lord Brevington, Dame Meredith, Herr Emmett, Our Savior

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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	80% buy the item featured on this page: Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand 5.0 out of 5 stars (7) $12.00
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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews 5 star:  (7) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 5.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Rare and Powerful Stories, May 23, 2008 By  L. A. Busch (Franklin, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Lush, Buoyant, Terrifying, and Heartbreaking. What Hawes has accomplished with her new collection of stories, Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand, is nothing short of Brilliant! This is not just a retelling of the oldest and most cherished fairy tales you heard as a child, but a bold and breathtaking re-envisioning of such memorable stories as the Pied Piper, and Hansel and Gretel. Through Hawes' powerful imagination and stunning prose, these stories have "grown up," infused with a mature and wondrous new charm. At first glance you won't recognize the names of the stories in the Table of Contents; Hawes has chosen to rename her tales. But for those of you intimately familiar with these unforgettable classics, you will not be far into Hawes' first story, "Dame Nigran's Tower," before you recognize the theme of Rapunzel. But what's different is that Hawes has chosen to tell the story from the witch's point of view, and not the horrible witch from the original tale who was so easy to hate and fear with her warts and pointy nose and bony hands, but a beautiful witch who risks her magical ability to fly for a chance to experience the power of human love. These are compassionate, sophisticated stories that will hold you spellbound for hours, long after you've put the book down. But be warned: not everyone in these stories lives happily ever after. Through the vehicle of these re-imagined tales, Hawes' artfully exposes human nature in all its forms--at once raw and devastating, then beautiful and courageous--unwilling to take false paths for happier solutions. Hawes stays true to the story she's fashioned, committed to the characters she's shaped, faithfully following them through the dismal, dank forest if that's where they lead. But even at their darkest, these stories manage to lift you up with their boundless energy and daring, their genius and empathy, their unwavering heart and soul. Hawes is known for her virtuosic writing and her ease of transitioning between genres, producing YA Novels, Middle Grade Novels and Picture Books, and several short fiction collections. Her work has garnered awards from the Children's Book Council, the Young Adult Library Services Association, the Center for Children's Books, the New York Public Library, and the International Reading Association. It is due to her amazing command of language and literary genius that Hawes is able to imbue these mature stories with fairy tale magic. Through the enchantment of Hawes' magnificent prose, I was transported back in time, not to my own childhood, but a realm where time has never existed, and yet, in terms of human spirit, not so different from today. 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars lovely as petal, sharp as thorn, August 23, 2008 By  Kelly L. (www.FantasyLiterature.com) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)       Once upon a time, there was a woman who was so caught up in a book that she did nothing all day but read it, from cover to cover. _Black Pearls_ is a gem. Louise Hawes' dark, sensual fairy tale retellings and Rebecca Guay's evocative illustrations work perfectly together to form one of the best books of retold tales that I've ever read. I checked this out from the library, but I've resolved that I simply must have a copy of my own to treasure. Hawes' prose is perfect for the genre. Her writing is beautiful without being heavy, and she has a talent for conveying visceral images in arch, elegant turns of phrase. She's also got a knack for metaphors. They're sometimes unexpected, sometimes familiar, and always perfectly fitting for the character who thinks them. (Rapunzel's witch compares hatred to poisonous mushrooms, Gretel notes that her angry stepmother is "set and stiff as beaten cream," and one of the seven dwarfs sees a bedraggled Snow White as a diamond that has not yet been cut.) My favorite metaphor in the book comes from the Snow White retelling as well: "watching the orange village at the bottom of the fire tumble into ruin". My favorite among the tales is "Evelyn's Song," which tells the story of the golden singing harp from Jack and the Beanstalk. It's a haunting tale of servitude and freedom. The other stories, too, look at the old tales from new angles and explore the tangled emotions that lurk within the archetypes. I would recommend this collection to anyone who enjoyed the Datlow/Windling fairy tale series, Tanith Lee's _Red as Blood_, and though Hawes sets her tales in "once upon a time" rather than our time, Francesca Lia Block's _The Rose and the Beast_. ...And she read happily ever after. 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Title for Story Gems, May 31, 2008 By  Gail Langer Karwoski "children's book author" - See all my reviews The intriguing title is perfect for this collection of "twisted" fairy tales. (The lustrous pearl, once considered the "Queen of Gemstones," was valued above the lives of enslaved divers - men whose lifespans were cut short by the dangers of the dive.) In this story collection, Hawes transforms seven fairy tales with her magical pen: Rapunzel; The Pied Piper; Hansel and Gretel; Cinderella; Jack and the Beanstalk; Snow White; Lady Godiva. The reader enters the backdoor of the moldering palaces of our childhood, drawn by Hawes's evocative wording and dream-inspired characters. Behind overgrown hedges of blood-red blossoms and menacing thorns, we find complicated emotions - forbidden love, desperate longing, suicidal despair, wrenching guilt. The richly-detailed, black-and-white illustrations are a fine complement to the luscious wording. This short story collection would be a fine addition to a classroom library for teens. It would make a splendid gift for an imaginative teen reader/writer. Leave an extra copy on the night-table of your guest bedroom.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking If only the original fairy tales were this richly written...perhaps our children would be more drawn to fine literature. Hawes has a gift for bringing her characters to life. Read more Published 11 months ago by Karen Meredith 5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating old tales told again with a difference We are in a dark wood wandering in these fascinating retellings of well known fairy tales, as if we entered them from another direction; it is an amazing forest, full of things we... Read more Published 14 months ago by Stephanie Cowell 5.0 out of 5 stars The Compulsive Reader's Reviews Have you ever longed for a fairy tale that wasn't riddled with silliness and foolish princesses and princes? Read more Published 18 months ago by The Compulsive Reader 5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too In this mesmerizing book, seven classic fairy tales have been retold; presented in a mature, yet still very magical, way. Read more Published 18 months ago by TeensReadToo.com Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (May 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618747974
• ISBN-13: 978-0618747979
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #487,880 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rare and Powerful Stories, May 23, 2008

By	L. A. Busch (Franklin, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lush, Buoyant, Terrifying, and Heartbreaking. What Hawes has accomplished with her new collection of stories, Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand, is nothing short of Brilliant! This is not just a retelling of the oldest and most cherished fairy tales you heard as a child, but a bold and breathtaking re-envisioning of such memorable stories as the Pied Piper, and Hansel and Gretel. Through Hawes' powerful imagination and stunning prose, these stories have "grown up," infused with a mature and wondrous new charm.

At first glance you won't recognize the names of the stories in the Table of Contents; Hawes has chosen to rename her tales. But for those of you intimately familiar with these unforgettable classics, you will not be far into Hawes' first story, "Dame Nigran's Tower," before you recognize the theme of Rapunzel. But what's different is that Hawes has chosen to tell the story from the witch's point of view, and not the horrible witch from the original tale who was so easy to hate and fear with her warts and pointy nose and bony hands, but a beautiful witch who risks her magical ability to fly for a chance to experience the power of human love. These are compassionate, sophisticated stories that will hold you spellbound for hours, long after you've put the book down.

But be warned: not everyone in these stories lives happily ever after. Through the vehicle of these re-imagined tales, Hawes' artfully exposes human nature in all its forms--at once raw and devastating, then beautiful and courageous--unwilling to take false paths for happier solutions. Hawes stays true to the story she's fashioned, committed to the characters she's shaped, faithfully following them through the dismal, dank forest if that's where they lead. But even at their darkest, these stories manage to lift you up with their boundless energy and daring, their genius and empathy, their unwavering heart and soul.

Hawes is known for her virtuosic writing and her ease of transitioning between genres, producing YA Novels, Middle Grade Novels and Picture Books, and several short fiction collections. Her work has garnered awards from the Children's Book Council, the Young Adult Library Services Association, the Center for Children's Books, the New York Public Library, and the International Reading Association. It is due to her amazing command of language and literary genius that Hawes is able to imbue these mature stories with fairy tale magic. Through the enchantment of Hawes' magnificent prose, I was transported back in time, not to my own childhood, but a realm where time has never existed, and yet, in terms of human spirit, not so different from today.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lovely as petal, sharp as thorn, August 23, 2008

By	Kelly L. (www.FantasyLiterature.com) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Once upon a time, there was a woman who was so caught up in a book that she did nothing all day but read it, from cover to cover.

_Black Pearls_ is a gem. Louise Hawes' dark, sensual fairy tale retellings and Rebecca Guay's evocative illustrations work perfectly together to form one of the best books of retold tales that I've ever read. I checked this out from the library, but I've resolved that I simply must have a copy of my own to treasure.

Hawes' prose is perfect for the genre. Her writing is beautiful without being heavy, and she has a talent for conveying visceral images in arch, elegant turns of phrase. She's also got a knack for metaphors. They're sometimes unexpected, sometimes familiar, and always perfectly fitting for the character who thinks them. (Rapunzel's witch compares hatred to poisonous mushrooms, Gretel notes that her angry stepmother is "set and stiff as beaten cream," and one of the seven dwarfs sees a bedraggled Snow White as a diamond that has not yet been cut.) My favorite metaphor in the book comes from the Snow White retelling as well: "watching the orange village at the bottom of the fire tumble into ruin".

My favorite among the tales is "Evelyn's Song," which tells the story of the golden singing harp from Jack and the Beanstalk. It's a haunting tale of servitude and freedom. The other stories, too, look at the old tales from new angles and explore the tangled emotions that lurk within the archetypes.

I would recommend this collection to anyone who enjoyed the Datlow/Windling fairy tale series, Tanith Lee's _Red as Blood_, and though Hawes sets her tales in "once upon a time" rather than our time, Francesca Lia Block's _The Rose and the Beast_.

...And she read happily ever after.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Title for Story Gems, May 31, 2008

By	Gail Langer Karwoski "children's book author" - See all my reviews

The intriguing title is perfect for this collection of "twisted" fairy tales. (The lustrous pearl, once considered the "Queen of Gemstones," was valued above the lives of enslaved divers - men whose lifespans were cut short by the dangers of the dive.) In this story collection, Hawes transforms seven fairy tales with her magical pen: Rapunzel; The Pied Piper; Hansel and Gretel; Cinderella; Jack and the Beanstalk; Snow White; Lady Godiva.

The reader enters the backdoor of the moldering palaces of our childhood, drawn by Hawes's evocative wording and dream-inspired characters. Behind overgrown hedges of blood-red blossoms and menacing thorns, we find complicated emotions - forbidden love, desperate longing, suicidal despair, wrenching guilt.

The richly-detailed, black-and-white illustrations are a fine complement to the luscious wording. This short story collection would be a fine addition to a classroom library for teens. It would make a splendid gift for an imaginative teen reader/writer. Leave an extra copy on the night-table of your guest bedroom.