Book: East
Author: Edith Pattou
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you enjoy Fairy Tale Rewrites, then this is a must read, if not own. "East" is a novelization of the lesser known tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon". The reason I read "East" was because my daughter is *obsessed* with fairy tales, despite being 30 😂 Ever since I gave her her first big book of fairy tales, "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" was always one that transfixed her (specifically the illustration in 4th picture). Perhaps that is why she grew up to love "Beauty and the Beast", as some have even said that the latter grew from the former.
Anyways, as for Edith Pattou's retelling of the Norwegian tale:
Personally, I enjoyed the book. The writing is a little more immature than what I typically read, but I appreciate the expansions made on the main character Rose. Pattou's Rose is strong willed, brave, fearless, but also flawed. The story opens with the birth of Rose, and the old wives tales regarding the direction a child is born and how that impacts the child's personality. Rose was told she was an east born child ("tidy, a sound sleeper…") but was in fact, born facing North ("wandering and wild"). Hmm. Maybe I need to find out what direction my daughter was facing when she was born…
I have borrowed this book from my daughter several times to read when I need an escapism break. Stepping into a world of ice and snow, this novelization really grows and expands the original fairy tale. Like "Beauty and the Beast", Rose is an unlikely strong-willed heroine who looks beneath the surface. She makes friends with those who deserve her friendship, she makes mistakes and works to fix them, and she goes on a quest to save a prince-in-distress. The story itself is an enjoyable light and adventurous read with a range of beautiful hidden meanings. The writing style and switching narrator points of view can take a bit to get used to, but all in all it is a joyful read. "East" stands on its own, but evidently a sequel "West" was published, according to the 7 text messages I just received from my daughter.
I hope you enjoy the read!