Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast
Robin McKinley
HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright1978
Pages: 336
Reading Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fairy Tale
Summary:
Faith, Hope, and Honor are three sisters, but no one calls Honor by her name, what everyone knows her as is Beauty, a nickname she got when she was five. They are the daughters of Mr. Huston, a well off Merchant who owns his own shipping business. Faith fell in love with Robbie, one of her father's Captains. They were to be married as soon as Robbie came back from a two year trip so that he could support her and their future family. A year after Robbie left, Mr. Huston received word that all of his ships had run into a bad storm and were all severely damaged if not destroyed. His business was destroyed and Robbie was probably dead. Ger, one of Mr. Huston's blacksmiths, and Hope have fallen in love and were about to talk to Mr. Huston before the news came. Ger comes to Mr. Huston and proposes a deal with him, they throw their resources together and move to the country until they can get their to their feet again, making sure that there was no pressure on Hope to marry him. The family auctions off most of their things to pay their creditors, and move with Ger to the country. Hope and Ger marry and are happy, which helps Faith move on without Robbie. News comes to the family that one ship has limped into the harbor and Mr. Huston goes to see what he can find out about it and to take care of the finances. On his way home he gets lost and finds a castle full of magic, after spending a night there, he comes home, but takes a rose to give to Beauty. This angers the master of the castle, who is a beast, Beast demands that Mr. Huston comes back in one month with a daughter (to be the beast's companion) or on his own to die. Beauty demands that her father take her to the beast at the end of the month because the rose was for her. Beast had sent Mr. Huston home with saddle bags full of fine things, including rose seeds for Beauty. The end of the month comes and Beauty goes to the castle to be the companion of the Beast. They become friends and both love books. Beauty has a dream of Robbie and wants to go tell her family so Faith doesn't marry the preacher. She goes home and stays a day longer than she promised the beast and her return to the beast was difficult and long. She entered the castle and couldn't find the Beast, after searching long and hard, she finds him and tells him she loves him and wants to marry him. Magic fills the castle and the beast is changed into a prince who is magnificent. Beauty says she can't marry him because he deserves a princess, which she is not. He shows her what she looks like in the mirror and she is more than beautiful, she is magnificent. Her family arrives at the castle dressed as lords and ladies and Robbie is with them.
Recommendations and Conflict:
I recommend this book to teenagers who need to get a new point of view on a story they thought they knew. I would also recommend this book to all girls who need a definition of what love is, because there are four different loves shown in this book, all with their own happily ever after. I don't see any conflicts in this book.
Reactions:
I loved this book. I spent a month in high school reading every version of beauty and the beast I could to re-find this book.