The Red Balloon Bookshop

Description

Zita is not an ordinary servant girl—she's the thirteenth daughter of a king who wanted only sons. When she was born, Zita's father banished her to the servants' quarters to work in the kitchens, where she can only communicate with her royal sisters in secret.

Then, after Zita's twelfth birthday, the princesses all fall mysteriously ill. The only clue is their strangely worn and tattered shoes. With the help of her friends—Breckin the stable boy, Babette the witch, and Milek the soldier—Zita follows her bewitched sisters into a magical world of endless dancing and dreams. But something more sinister is afoot—and unless Zita and her friends can break the curse, the twelve princesses will surely dance to their deaths.

A classic fairy tale with a bold twist, The Thirteenth Princess tells the unforgettable story of a magical castle, true love, spellbound princesses—and the young girl determined to save them all.

About the Author

Diane Zahler lives with her husband, son, and dog in New York's Harlem Valley, in an old farmhouse held together by magic spells and duct tape, writing fairy tales of her own.

Praise for The Thirteenth Princess…

“Zahler takes a light story and gives it gratifying depth, rounding out the characters and their motivations without betraying the source material and wrapping it all together in a graceful and cohesive romantic drama.”
-Publishers Weekly

“THE THIRTEENTH PRINCESS is a lucky find, a wheeling gavotte of a novel that refreshes an old fairy tale with new enchantment.”
-Gregory Maguire, author of WICKED and A LION AMONG MEN

“Splendid entertainment with a guaranteed happy ever after.”
-Diane Stanley, author of BELLA AT MIDNIGHT

Lively reworking of familiar elements.”
-Booklist

“Delicious descriptions”
-Kirkus Reviews

Just the right combination of magic, adventure, and romance.”
-Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“An enchanting retelling.”
-Alex Flinn, author of BEASTLY and A KISS IN TIME