She goes home for a visit at one point and while she’s there, her mother gives her a magic candle that will light any darkness. But he likes her to talk to him, read to him, or he’ll just sit and watch her weave.Īlso, at night, someone is coming and getting in bed with her, but the lights are all magically extinguished and can’t be turned back on, so she doesn’t know who it is. And he doesn’t talk much, as it’s pretty hard for him. He takes her off to his mountain castle where he appears to live alone with only 2 servants. Rose, though, has a serious streak of adventure in her and when the bear shows up to get their answer, she grabs a hidden knapsack and takes off with him. But the father and her brother, Neddy, are absolutely against it (well, hello! who wouldn’t be?). The mother, who is incredibly superstitious, thinks Rose should go. Her older sister gets sick and looks to be on her way out of this life, when a giant white talking bear (go with it) shows up and says, “If you’ll give me Rose, Sara will live and, oh yeah, your life of penury will be over and you will all be rich and happy.”

The story is this: Rose is the eighth child of a farming family. Because, of course, I can’t be thinking too hard or anything. Also, it simplified my life to think of it as a Beauty and the Beast spin-off. Raise those eyebrows as high as you can). Looking at the Wikipedia entry on it, I can see some of the differences between East and the original (oh yeah, I went to grad school where we talked non-stop about judging the quality of websites, and I still turn to Wikipedia first thing. If you are, congratulations, you are far smarter than I am).

8 of 10: East is a solidly good book, although maybe a smidge too long.Įast by Edith Pattou is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon (if you aren’t familiar with it, don’t worry, neither was I.

West edith pattou