A Story Unwritten - by Jennifer Sneed (Paperback)

About the Book

Oklahoma 1925: after a money-hungry witch turns her brothers into hawks, an eleven-year-old girl must trade her voice to a fairy on the prairie and weave the counter curse before the Blue Moon rises or lose her family, and her voice, forever.

Book Synopsis

"Cora is headstrong, adventurous, and utterly charming...A captivating fairytale adaptation..." - Kirkus Reviews

"I believe in magic. I believed even before my brothers sprouted wings and flew away."

A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Wild Swans set in Oklahoma in 1925.

Eleven-year-old Cora, a woefully unladylike and impetuous oil baron's daughter, can think of nothing but avoiding the dreaded Boston Academy for Admirable Young Ladies. The sudden demand that she become a fine young lady has set her carefree life off-kilter. But her plans to prevent it are interrupted when a fortune-hunting medium with a knack for potions cons her way into her father's life. Cora unmasks the woman, but it makes no difference. After a whirlwind wedding, the medium turns Cora's six brothers into hawks and Cora escapes through the mansion's secret tunnels.

Pestilence and calamity! Cora never wished for pursuit, danger, and brothers with feathers. All she wanted was time to grow up on her own schedule!

Trading her voice to a fairy on the prairie for the counter curse to save her brothers, she must craft magical shirts for them before the Blue Moon rises or lose her family-and her voice-forever. By accepting new challenges, finding new allies, and muddling through a new way of life, this little Princess on the Prairie might do more than save her brothers; she might find the tenacity and spirit to become the author of her own fantastic life story.

For fans of Alyssa Colman, Patricia C. Wrede, and Gail Carson Levine, A STORY UNWRITTEN is the perfect book for:

• ages 8-12 and the young at heart
• young fantasy readers
• lovers of historical fiction
• empowering young girls

Review Quotes

"Although "The Wild Swans" is a less well-known fairy tale, this updated retelling will be accessible and engaging to young readers, even if they're unfamiliar with the original work. Cora is headstrong, adventurous, and utterly charming, and she provides a compelling role model for young girls...A captivating fairytale adaptation that may appeal to fans of the work of Gail Carson Levine and Patricia C. Wrede." - Kirkus Reviews

"An imaginative reworking of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Wild Swans, and a fun read from start to finish, "A Story Unwritten" is set in Oklahoma in 1925. Especially and unreservedly recommended for elementary school, middle school, and community library Fantasy collections for young readers ages 8-12..." - Midwest Book Review

"Whimsical and heartfelt...The characters leap off the page, especially Cora, whose voice is plucky, passionate, and full of grit...a rich, magical adventure perfect for readers who dream of rewiring fairy tales-and their own destinies." - The Children's Book Review