Briar Rose

by Jane Yolen

The story of Sleeping Beauty is one we have all heard of, yet Jane Yolen takes on a different perspective, incorporating the holocaust into this beloved fairy tale. Becca and her two sisters have listened to their Gemma tell the story of Briar Rose throughout their childhood and into adulthood. Although the two older sisters grow tired of the story, Becca, the youngest granddaughter, still remains fond of the story even until herGemma's dieing day. As she listens to her Gemma tell the story one last time, she finds herself promising to find the prince that kissed her awake and the castle where she was once aKseizniczka, which in Polish means "Princess". Becca discovers a box carved with a rose that her grandmother had hidden, containing pictures and papers from around the time of the holocaust. After some investigating, she discovers that her grandmother might have been telling more than a fairy tale, and in fact, revealing her past in the only story she knew how. I found this book to be immensely fascinating. After reading the description, I had to read it to find out if the author was able to pull off this difficult correlation. I am pleased to say that it was believable and enticing. I definitely recommend this book.