Briar Rose

Name: Briar Rose
Brand: Recorded Books
Availability: InStock
Author: Jane Yolen
ISBN: 9781490676791

Author: Jane Yolen

Narrator: Linda Stephens

Unabridged: 6 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 12/04/2015

Categories: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tales & Folklore

Synopsis

Briar Rose is a historically sensitive retelling of Sleeping Beauty set amid forests patrolled by the German army during World War II. In the heat of midsummer 1942, deep in a forest in the heart of Poland, Briar Rose arrives at a castle that has fallen into the hands of an evil army. Corrupted by dark deeds and choked by a poisonous mist, the castle will soon come to be known as Chelmno extermination camp. And in that place of death, Briar Rose is plunged into a deep sleep. … Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma's stories of Briar Rose. Becca would have sworn the stories were made up, but on her deathbed Gemma extracts from Becca a promise to fulfill three impossible requests: find the castle, find the prince, and find the spell-maker. Her vow sends Becca on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma's astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. Yolen's graceful retelling of the German folktale of “Briar Rose”—known to some as “Sleeping Beauty”—sets the story amid forests patrolled by the German army during World War II. Yolen confronts the deeply tragic events of the Holocaust with lyrical prose and rich characterizations that tell a tale of good and evil, hope and despair. The Washington Post called Briar Rose “a terrifically moving story.”

About Jane Yolen

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. All of Yolen's stories and poems are rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate paper-cut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Konstanze on July 10, 2010

I'm really, really disturbed by the majority of two star reviews here dismissing the book because of its LGBT content. It's been two years since I read it, so I don't exactly remember how graphic it was, but if I had to make an educated guess it wasn't half as graphic as your average heterosexual ro......more

Goodreads review by Lisa on May 17, 2018

Wow! I read it in one day and that is unusual for me. I couldn’t put it down. It’s different from what I was expecting, I guess because her The Devil’s Arithmetic had a young teen protagonist and had more of a speculative fiction aspect, and I was afraid this would be pure fairy tale. However, this......more

Goodreads review by Jolie on May 25, 2008

I have always loved fairy tales, and their retellings, ever since I got my hands on a complete collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales. So I was excited to find this retelling of Sleeping Beauty that is, of all things, also a Holocaust story. Becca is the 3rd daughter (third--very important in fairy tales......more

Goodreads review by Chris on August 06, 2018

Wonderful book for young readers...grades 6-8. A fun story about a young girl who learns about her grandmother's true identity through the content of a box her grandmother leaves her. If you enjoyed , , and you will enjoy it. I was going to add to the list and as fantastic and......more

Goodreads review by Cinco on July 20, 2007

You can always depend on Jane Yolen for excellent writing, but this is my absolute favorite of hers. She manages to combine the Holocaust, the Sleeping Beauty tale, and a young woman's memories of her grandmother into a really wonderful book. Very highly recommended.......more