When Jo finds a lone glass slipper on the night of the royal ball, she realises that there is more to the seemingly ordinary object than meets the eye. Searching for its owner, she is led to the palace where the princess sets her on a journey that thrusts her into an unexpected world of magic and illusions. It soon becomes clear that there is a lot more to her mission as she discovers startling secrets about her past and struggles to embrace her destiny.
Genre: JUVENILE FICTION / Fairy Tales & Folklore / AdaptationsThe sound of a loud crash followed by an equally deafening shriek came as no surprise to most people in the frenzied mess that was the palace kitchen. One or two heads turned towards the storeroom with slight panic but when they realised that no one else seemed concerned by the noise, they went back to their work. There was no time to stand around today of all days; broken crockery could be swept up later.
Jo emerged from the storeroom, red-faced and silent. Her large dark eyes sought out her mother in the crowd of people rushing around the kitchen but she was fortunately not in sight. Good. That would save her having to explain her second accident in less than a week. She was probably losing her family more money working here than she would have been if she set up a market stall and gave out all their wages. Although those plates had not been the most expensive crockery in the palace and no one would miss them now they were gone, they were still worth more than she would ever be able to repay.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
The voice came from beside Jo, startling her by its proximity. It was a voice she knew all too well.
“I didn’t mean to break them,” she began to protest her innocence, turning to face her brother. “I was reaching for the jar and didn’t notice that the shelf was unbalanced, next thing I heard was a crash.”
Her older brother, Ron, grinned at her discomfort. The vase she had broken a few days earlier as she was assisting the palace florist had also been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Jo made a face at her brother and jabbed him playfully in the side. Ron had just turned seventeen and although he was only a year older than Jo, he towered over her and looked at least three years older. His attempt to match her childish scowl only made Jo laugh out loud, drawing stares from others who were hurrying past them.
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French
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Already translated.
Translated by Monique BARON
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Author review: Monique has been great to work with throughout this process. She always asks relevant questions and made suggestions, and she is willing to help generally. She is also thorough. I would definitely recommend her. |
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Anna Caserta
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Author review: I was fortunate to work with Anna Caserta on this translation. She is professional and has good attention to detail, always willing to take suggestions and translates with a fluidity that matches the age range of my work. I would highly recommend her based on my experience. |
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Patricia M Begona
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Author review: Patricia has been an absolute joy to work with. With a lot of patience and good communication, she made the translation process easy and collaborative. My readers all found her work clear to read. |
