Saturday, February 6, 2010

Briar Rose

Briar Rose
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By Jane Yolen


Published by Tom Doherty Associates (1992)

Genre: Historical Fiction, War, Holocaust, Internment Camps

Disclaimer: Violence, Death

Pages: 241

Becca grew up listening to her Grandma (Gemma) tell the story of Sleeping Beauty. Before Gemma died she told Becca that she was Briar Rose from the Sleeping Beauty story and made Becca promise to find out more. The family new nothing about Gemma's past because Gemma never talked about it. As Becca goes through Gemma's stuff she starts to piece together a few things that leads her to Poland, where she finds out some sad truths about what her grandma went through during WWII and the sad truths behind the Sleeping Beauty story she grew up with.

I have mixed feeling about this book. I though it was very well written and that the message was powerful. I learned about what the Polish went through during WWII and also other people that were affected and discriminated against during that time, including homosexuals. I learned alot, but it also left me feeling sad. I know I will never look at the Sleeping Beauty story the same way again.

Other books by Jane Yolen I've enjoyed:

  • Dragon's Blood
  • Heart's Blood
  • The Queen's Own Fool
  • 12 Impossible Things Before Breakfast (Short Stories)

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