Hello, it’s been a while. Well that’s not for lack of things to read. Since I last shared, I’ve attended a virtual writers conference, and I’ve become an isolated agoraphobe who refuses to leave the house, (but who hasn’t, am I right?).
But now it’s is my great pleasure to tell you about a book that I thoroughly enjoyed recently. In fact it releases tomorrow.
As a reader of this blog it shouldn’t surprise you that I enjoy fairy tale retellings. Well this next book is Fairy tales with a major setting shift. So much so that they are better called re-imaginaings instead of re-tellings.
The once upon a Western series, by Rachel Kovaciny, takes beloved fairy tales and reworks them into the real life setting of the historical American West. Her newest and third installment is based on Snow White.
About the book:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs… reimagined.
When a wagon train of Black pioneers rescues the seven orphaned Dalton cousins from the side of the trail, it seems like an answer to their prayers. As they roll west toward Kansas, fourteen-year-old Levi Dalton is dazzled by the beautiful Mrs. Mallone. She’s a healer, and her knowledge of medicines and herbs inspires Levi to want to become a doctor. Maybe then he can stop people from dying of fevers and illnesses like his folks did.
But Mrs. Mallone’s stepdaughter, Hopeful, warns Levi not to become too attached to the healer. Levi dismisses her warnings and his own misgivings until the day he sees something dreadful.
Levi knows he needs to tell someone what he’s seen before it’s too late. But will anyone believe the story of a fourteen-year-old orphan? Will anyone stand up to evil, no matter how beautifully it’s packaged?
About the author:
Born only a few miles from where Jesse James robbed his first train, Rachel Kovaciny has loved the Old West all her life. She now lives in Virginia with her husband and their three homeschooled children. In her free time, Rachel writes for the magazines “Femnista” and “Prairie Times,” reads, bakes, blogs, watches movies, and daydreams.
Her book “Cloaked” was a 2018 Peacemaker Awards finalist for Best Western YA/Children’s Fiction.
My Dive in Review:
One Bad Apple by Rachel Kovaciny is the third book in her Once upon a western series. I have not read the first two books in this series so believe me when I say that this episode stands on it’s own 100%. You do not have to read the first two books to enjoy this one.
I was so enthralled by this story. I was like constantly guessing how the Snow White story was going to intertwine with the real world non magical setting. But let’s ignore the fairytale aspect and look at the historical part of it for a bit.
I could tell that a lot of research went into this novel. Nothing sounds modern or out of place for a post civil war wagon train. The wagon train itself is well described and the people feel real, or at least they feel like people you would see on a western. I did think it was weird that a caravan would leave behind so many children to fend for themselves. Yes the parents were sick, but having that many young children to worry over and care for, certainly wasn’t going to get them any better. That’s my only, nitpick. It did, however, give the story a boxcar children vibe which is a book I loved and think fondly of.
The fairy tale aspect was also well done. The tale of Snow White was adapted to fit the western theme rather than being stripped of it’s wonder and shoehorned into a new setting. Everything was a fresh take. Not, Snow White and the seven orphans. Rather the seven Orphans and the preacher’s daughter. It worked as a retelling, but it also works as it’s own thing and is all the better for it.
*I was given an e-ARC of this novel for review purposes. I was not obligated to reed or review this book, but I did because that’s just good manners. My opinion is my own honest one.*
Once Upon a Twist #3
Kirsten Fichter is a twenty-something Christian writer who loves being the wife to her favorite person ever, mommy to two precious blessings, a piano enthusiast, a dragon buff, a serious bookworm, and an INFP synesthete. Fairytales have always fascinated her, and she has made it her goal to rewrite as many as possible and become known as the “Grimm Dickens” (i.e. mixing Grimm fairytales with a Dickens style). 
AUTHOR BIO:
Devon Alexander is a 15 year-old teenager coping with the monotonous reality of his average life. His life receives an interesting reprieve as he has his first realistic dream of a spaceship. The strangest thing about the dream is that he seems to be the only one on board who isn’t in a dream-like trance. Before he can figure out anything about the dream or his strange shipmates, he manages to wake up. The next day, Devon catches a news story about inexplicable comas taking place all over the world. Devon’s life becomes increasingly interesting as he recognizes some of the victims from his spaceship trip.
L. E. Fred is a perpetual dreamer who writes about worlds both within and without this realm. With a degree in psychology, she tends to get lost in the mind, the greatest adventure of all. L. E. Fred just returned from a tour of Japan, and hopes to have many more adventures to inspire new tales of dreams and beyond. She currently lives in New Orleans, seated at her messy writing desk with her red furred dog at her feet.
Kamryn Kensington is a wonderfully relate-able heroine. She may be an adult in years but like many she still struggles with ‘adulting.’ Her passion’s and dreams are taking her in a different direction than her older sister would have her go. Unfortunately, when the two siblings butt heads it’s Kam’s head that takes the hit. Right at the bottom of the stairs. When she wakes up in the land of Ur she has some questions. What she gets is a mission from a very shifty Oracle, but few answers.
Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that’s her own five or the hundreds of students she’s been lucky to teach. When Kandi’s not spinning words to create stories, she’s using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.
C. O. Bonham 