"Rose Daughter" by Robin McKinley (published 1997)

Is it true that nowadays we sometimes become numb (by forgetting – usually not deliberately) of our bodily sensations… and all kinds of feeling? I’m not sure why this happens, but I know that reading reminds us of the world around us with words that bring our thoughts back to what being alive feels like. Then, consciousness is gained and seemingly ordinary sights, smells, tastes, textures, and sounds that envelop us every day and every night become prominent once more. Robin McKinley’s “Rose Daughter”, published in 1997, nineteen years after her debut novel was written, titled “Beauty”, does all the things mentioned. In McKinley’s second retelling of the classic story “Beauty & the Beast” or, “La Belle Et La Bete”, I’ve learned to cherish those moments of profound presence that McKinley’s story offered me.

In McKinley’s Beast’s palace there are trowels, gossamers, hydras, phoenixes, briars, numen, torcheres, virgins bowers, pietra duras, beech trees, sphinxes, and balustrades galore. They constantly change shape and color, and we learn along with Beauty that it is difficult to ensorcell a sorcerer, and just as difficult to tame a supercilious woman in a painting. This magical world-building in McKinley’s “Rose Daughter” includes a few places, which at the start is the family’s beautiful townhome in the city. Then the story moves to the small and delightful country town and cottage, and at the end, universes in their entire grand splendor are found within the Beast’s enchanted abode. The novel’s focus on the relationship between the Beauty & the Beast, of course, is the best part. What other princess fairy tale possesses the same kind of attention to falling in love as this one?

While the basic “Beauty & the Beast” premise is the same, McKinley’s retelling is wrapped up uniquely and exquisitely in the mystery and fervor essential to fairy tales. We are introduced to a baby Beauty by learning that she has nightmares every night while trying to sleep in her crib. In these nightmares, she walks down a huge, shadowy corridor that smells strongly of roses. But as she walks, she knows there is a monster waiting for her at the end of the corridor, and she is terribly frightened. She shouts out, is drenched in sweat… but before meeting this monster she wakes up. She continues having these nightmares throughout her life, but doesn’t tell anyone until much later. 

Like McKinley’s first retelling of “Beauty & the Beast”, this story will charm you into oblivion. Beauty’s two talented and loving sisters, one named Jeweltongue for wisdom and the other Lionheart for fierceness of character, and their serious and thoughtful Father, all lived together in the nicest townhome in the city. Their father was the richest merchant in the town. Beauty, the quiet and practical one, loved gardens with all her heart. And although the three daughters were motherless, as their mother had died early on, the entire family treasured life as much as possible through this loss, throwing parties and enjoying the luxuries of their earned wealth. But another unfortunate day came, and the merchant lost all of his riches and owed a great debt to many people, and was forced to sell all his belongings and property. In those times sorcerers and greenwitches were abound, but the merchant swore off using any kind of magic after his wife passed. He wouldn’t use even a little bit of it, and the family, empty-handed, wondered what their next move might be. Now the three girls never complained and only worried silently, and took on the burden of work with the grace of angels. Soon, Beauty found a letter stating that the family was left one small estate out in the country next to a town called Longchance. The estate’s name was Rose Cottage. This place would change their lives forever. Once in Longchance, Jeweltongue became a splendid dressmaker, Lionheart took care of the small town’s horses, and Beauty changed a backyard full of gnarly thorns, bushes, and shrubs into a flowering garden, with superfluous roses… when it was said by the locals that only a greenwitch could make roses grow there. All three eventually became adept at farm work. What’s more is that they realized how happy they were, and came to the conclusion that they never knew real happiness before. 

McKinley wonderfully draws out personalities and relationships within the first few chapters, and it is all a pleasure to read. When she gets to the part where the three girls’ father has to leave town for an embargo that landed for him, and the on way home from an unsuccessful trip gets lost in the woods only to find an enchanted palace, the story throbs and shimmers with new meaning. The Beast is wise and terrifying, gentle but monstrous, kind and brutal. Beauty’s father takes a rose from him as a gift for Beauty, as she requested, but little does anyone know that roses are the Beast’s most beloved object of all. After the Beast howls and speaks in anger, their Father, with his last ounce of courage, looks up and sees that the Beast is slouched down,with his head lying in turmoil in his gruesome paws. What a strange thing to feel pity for such an unnerving sight! When Beauty is made to travel to the Beast’s palace in exchange for the life of her father, she calms herself by asking, “…can a Beast who loves roses so much be so very terrible?” And no he cannot, for the dread that comes from the initial meeting transforms into an understanding of what it takes to conquer the soul’s deepest fears.

“Rose Daughter” is the perfect elaboration on a well-known tale that will resonate to all kinds of readers, young and old, for a long, long time. In it you will find the complex story behind why the Beast became what he is, whether or not an old curse of three sisters is just a nursery rhyme or real, and whether cats have powers greater than any magician.