This book falls somewhere between two of my blog tags—work I love and must-read fiction—because I was fortunate to read it before it was published, and I love it so much I want other people to know about it and be as excited about its recent release as I am.
If you’re familiar with my blog or my writing, you know that one of my favorite subjects is the ways women have found throughout the ages of defying or simply ignoring the rules of the systems intended to keep them “in their place.” But I also love certain folk and fairy tales for what they say about human ethics and values—especially when they remind us that love and kindness are better and stronger than hate and cruelty.
Which is why I so highly recommend The Princess Who Sang Like a Frog and Other Tales of Love by Callie Cardamon. (Full disclosure: I know Callie IRL, but that has nothing to do with my feelings about her book.)
The title story is a brilliant twist on fairy tale conventions—with a courageous and relatable heroine who overcomes the fear and self-doubt generated by her society’s expectations. “The Princess Who Sang Like a Frog” is a hero’s journey, though in this case the hero is the youngest daughter of a king. On her sixteenth birthday, the princess’s future depends on her ability to sing beautifully to the assembled court. When she can’t sing—and is publicly humiliated —she comes to believe she’s a complete failure. She leaves the kingdom rather than live among people who look at her only with pity. As she walks through a magical forest, she comes across talking animals, all of whom have their own unique songs, which they teach her. They also encourage her to look at her abilities from new perspectives. One of the things I appreciate most about this story is how long it takes the princess to understand this wisdom. (Because let’s face it: when you’re determined to be self-hating, it’s not the easiest thing to stop doing.) There’s a happy ending to the princess’ journey, but she earns it. She doesn’t just get it because she’s good, or oppressed by wickedness, or because some lady with wings waves a sparkly stick in the air—she goes out into the world and makes it happen. That’s the kind of moral I can get behind.
The other stories in the collection are shorter, but just as satisfying. In all of them, fairy tale conventions are both respected and stood on their heads, as there’s definitely magic at work but it’s not the usual kind of wave-a-wand-and-make-it-all-better magic. It’s magic that must be interpreted and acted on by the imperfect people caught up in it, which makes it more human and less deus ex machina. As a reader I came away from the whole collection with a sense of balance and acceptance.
The beautiful writing reflects the same kind of balance, and is appropriately fairy-tale-esque while also being a bit meta, which makes it a fun read that never feels preachy or heavy-handed. And the book is simply gorgeous, from the cover to the interior design. This is one you shouldn’t miss. Available on Amazon.