A STORY UNWRITTEN

In Sneed’s retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’stale “The Wild Swans,” an 11-year-old girl must save her six brothers after her wicked stepmother turns them into red-tailed hawks.

It’s 1925 in Oklahoma, and Cora’s father has gotten rich in the oil business. They live in a mansion on the prairie, and the girl loves her leisurely life there, reading adventure stories and riding her horse, Ali Baba. All that’s about to change, though, because she’s supposed to be sent to finishing school in Boston, much to her displeasure. However, before she can be shipped off, her father comes homewith a mysterious woman, dressed all in green. He and her brothers seem enchanted by the “Green Woman,” asCora calls her;Cora is skeptical of her, though, and exposes her as a fraud during a fake séance. To Cora’s horror, her father marries her anyway, and the Green Woman wastes no time in getting rid of the children: She turns the boys into hawks, and Cora only narrowly escapes the same fate by going on the run in the Oklahoma countryside. She stumbles on a Seelie (a type of fairy), who strikes a deal with her—in exchange for Cora’s voice, the Seelie will reveal to her how to turn her brothers back into humans: Before three moons pass, Cora must pick enough cotton to weave six shirts, one for each sibling. Although “The Wild Swans” is a less well-known fairy tale, this updated retelling will be accessible and engaging to young readers, even if they’re unfamiliar with the original work. Cora is headstrong, adventurous, and utterly charming, and she provides a compelling role model for young girls; there are brief flashes of insight in which she examines her class privilege. Sneed perfectly captures the sibling dynamic between her and her brothers as well, and the cast of Cora’s unexpected allies adds depth and levity.

A captivating fairytale adaptation that may appeal to fans of the work of Gail Carson Levine and Patricia C. Wrede.