(39) The Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon

Gregory Maguire has made quite a living out of taking beloved fairy tales we are all familiar with and telling the other side of the story. Carolyn Turgeon is trying to follow in his footsteps with her novel, The Godmother.

The Godmother tells us Cinderella's story from the viewpoint of her Fairy Godmother, Lil. The story is not as you would think, in fact it somewhat tragic. As Lil finds herself banished from the world she loves and is forced to live out her banishment in Manhattan. After many years, Lil convinces herself that she will be welcomed home if she can redeem herself by helping Veronica find her "Prince".

The Godmother is an dark, yet enchanting tale. The sadness that envelopes Lil is almost palpable. So desperately does she want to return to the home she once knew. As the story goes on, you realize that there is more to Lil than first appeared and returning to the home she once knew may not be possible.

I will admit that the ending surprised me a bit. The author allows the reader to use their imagination in ways that feel almost a bit rusty. Gregory Maguire introduced us to the "other side of the story" so to speak, and Carolyn Turgeon pushed me to think about the darker side of Fairy Godmothers. The Godmother was a good book. It was written in an way that made it easy to read and just breeze through the pages. My imagination enjoyed the workout!