Think of this as the origin story for Cinderella. This isn't a re-telling, per se. 

This historical fiction novel is the story of Lucinda...the poor little orphan, who swept out chimneys, lived with mean Steppys, and dreamt of Prince Charming. This is also the story of England in the 17th Century, the pox, nasty old men, and war.

This is a fabulous story and won that keeps the readers attention far beyond the damsel in distress narrative that most 'fairy tales' follow. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

An adult compilation of fairy tales. Taken from one of  the masters of fairy tales, Charles Perrault.
Our author has taken the freedom of writting fiction to build a story of Cinderella. A more realistic Cinderella. This Cinderella is not the perfect lass of the original tale. Oh, she is an orphan, she does have a God mother, of sorts.  She has all the wicked relatives and more. In this cleverly, charming tale. she has to find her " prince". He will not be rescuing her, she does not know she needs  rescuing. In fact there are no magical scenes that are found charming. No, there is war, starvation, begging, rape. However, life is what we make of it. And Lucinda discovers that she can be the heroine of her own story.
Well written, interesting.
5 Stars

Having just finished “The Slipper” by Hester Velmans, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you Net Galley! 

I thoroughly enjoyed all the period details Ms. Velmans has used in this twist on the classic Cinderella story, but I really had trouble warming up to Lucinda. Her selfishness and cruelty to the only person to love her, Bessie, became irritating and tiresome to say the least. By part two in the novel, I was engrossed in the direction that the story had taken Bessie and Lucinda, but again Lucinda’s naiveté and selfishness continued to irritate. As the conclusion, and part three finally arrived, I can say that I enjoyed the story completely. At long last a strength and talent emerged in this woman that was truly fascinating. In my mind the introduction of Charles Perrault into the storyline was as if a version of a “fairy-godfather” had arrived for Lucinda. Whether or not that’s what the author intended, that is what I came away thinking. Wisdom through his words and belief in her ability is what eventually led Cinderella… I mean Lucinda, to find her true happiness. I definitely enjoyed Lucinda’s story as it unfolded, but I can’t say I liked her along the way.

*** I thought the book trailer was unique too, and worth a look if you have a minute. :)

https://vimeo.com/259698256

This is definitely not the fairy tale you know or remember. Though I can see the fairy tale within the story, this one is so far flung out there that you have to really have to think hard to remember this is supposedly the true story of Cinderella. Though like with all historical <i>fiction</i> I take the story with a grain of salt. You honestly don't know if this is how the actual story went or if it was all in the author's head. Both this one & the fairy tale one.

I gave this four (4) out of five (5) stars due to the fact that I think Lucinda and some of the other characters could have been "fleshed out" a bit better. The story line is good & engaging so there was no issue there, but to me there were holes that needed to be filled. I just disbelieve the nativity of Lucinda also. After everything she went through in the very beginning of her life before running after her love she should have realized what was eventually gonna happen. I am sorry, but I just fail to see her being that dumb.

This book is a good quick read of a decent story line but I don't think I will look into the other books by the author. It is a good book & decent story line, but not anywhere what I expected or did not expect. I hate giving poor reviews on a author's hard work and to someone else they may love the book. I was just not thrilled with it.

SLIPPER by Hester Velman (published April 17, 2018 by Van Horton Books) is the retelling of Cinderella. And, trust me, it is nothing like the Disney version. This Cinderella suffers a lot more than a torn dress and dirty fingernails thanks to all of that cleaning she had to do. This Cinderella survives rape, a witch hunt, war, and massacres. Life teaches her some very hard lessons – yet it takes her a long time to learn anything from them. And, in the end, the glass slipper doesn’t even fit!

Lucinda (AKA Cinderella) is a penniless orphan growing up in the mid to late-1600s. Because her aristocratic family believes her to be a bastard, Lucinda is not treated very well. At best, she is ignored by her family. At worst, she is forced to work as a servant in the family’s sprawling countryside mansion. Lucinda’s only friend is her godmother/family cook Bessie Goose (who, in this story, becomes the inspiration for Mother Goose), and the other household servants who spoil her. 

I somewhat enjoyed SLIPPER in the beginning, but then, around halfway through, I decided that I didn’t like the novel. By the end, I was on the fence about it. It is an interesting story, but, as Lucinda got older, I found that I couldn’t stand her. Lucinda is a very imaginative child, and she has herself convinced that her daydreams will one day become reality. That her Prince Charming will one day come rescue her from her miserable life. I didn’t think that Bessie Goose was the most likeable of characters either. Instead of giving Lucinda some lessons in life and common sense, she instead allows the girl to remain ignorant. After being raped by her uncle, Lucinda throws herself at a captain in the English army who is betrothed to her cousin, believing that this man in her knight in shining armor. Leaving her home in the English countryside, Lucinda follows the captain to France where he is a captain in the army. Lucinda and Bessie join the baggage train, and Lucinda becomes the captain’s mistress. Lucinda begins to see the captain for what he really is, but she continues to cling to her dream that he’s her Prince Charming. She also develops an unhealthy interest in the whores who are also part of the baggage train. At this point, it’s too late for Bessie to give the teenage Lucinda any life lessons because Lucinda isn’t about to listen to anything that anyone has to say. When Lucinda finally realizes that the captain is never going to marry her, she turns to physician John Prynce. Upon learning that Prynce is responsible for both of her parents’ deaths, she flees the baggage train and makes her way to Holland. After a brief marriage to a boorish painter, Lucinda moves to Paris where, as a female artist, she is treated as a novelty and flattered by men who wish to make her their mistress. She also meets Charles Perrault, the man who will take her life story and use it to create the Cinderella fairy tale. He also uses Bessie’s stories (passed on to him through Lucinda since Bessie is now dead thanks to Lucinda’s recklessness) and turns them into the Mother Goose tales. It’s in Paris that Lucinda finally begins to open her eyes and realize that her daydreams are what got her into this mess. She then returns to England to see if she can work things out with Prynce.

While SLIPPER was an interesting and well plotted novel, it just wasn’t for me. I just didn’t like Lucinda at all. Most of the time I was irritated with her – as well as Bessie – for her naivety and recklessness. I spent the majority if the novel wanting to reach through the pages to smack Lucinda upside the head for her foolishness. Yes, life has dealt Lucinda a lot of crap, but she brings a good portion of it onto herself. The rest of the female characters are wicked – filling the roles of wicked step-mother and step-sisters even though they are Lucinda’s aunts and cousins. The male characters leave a lot more to be desired. I didn’t want a stereotypical Prince Charming, but it would have been nice to have a male character that was at least remotely likeable. 

For me, the most interesting part of the novel was learning about the origins of some of the classic fairy tales.  I also enjoyed that there were historical figures woven into the storyline. That helped add to the historic backdrop of the time period. 

If you’re a diehard fan of Disney’s Cinderella, this novel probably won’t be for you. If you’re open to adaptations of the fairy tale, give SLIPPER a try.

Lucinda's mother is thrown out by her wealthy family because she is pregnant and they believe she is not married. Lucinda is brought home to live and when she grows up is treated as the lowest class of a maid by her sister after her grandmother dies. Lucinda travels and goes from what could be happiness to disaster. Many painful times in her life but her life is a series of Fairy Tales including her inheritance of a pair of glass slippers. You can see where this is going. An interesting read. Her life gives the author Charles Perrault the inspiration for his famous stories.

I just finished Slipper by Hester Velmans and it left me feeling haunted and thoughtful. I love fairy tale retellings and this was a well crafted retelling of Cinderella.

Once upon a bed and long ago, there lay a maid. And the maid had to huff and to puff, and to puff and to huff, until finally she gave birth to a small bundle of a child.

The Good: I loved that the author wove historical figures with fictional characters to create the story. I was also a huge fan of Bessie, Lucinda’s nurse, she was perpetually cheerful, loyal, and full of love for Lucinda, no matter how misguided her charge was at times. I also love that Bessie was Mother Goose! I would have loved to have more of her thoughts of the goings on of the book. I also loved the second half of the book where we see Lucinda grow a lot more and become a talented successful young woman.

The Bad: I spent the first half of this book torn between sympathy and irritation. Lucinda had been dealt a bad hand and dealt with bullying and unwanted male attention as a young girl. She also was naive to the point of disbelief. She fancies herself in love after a night of passion with a man and follows him to France at the edge of a war!

“The reason I am glad that I came is that you seem to have so little…” “So little what?” “Sense”

The Ugly: 
The men in this book leave much to be desired. They are indifferent or cruel or downright malicious. From the age of 15 she is pursued relentlessly by her cad of an uncle who soothes his conscious that she’s not REALLY his niece afterall. Trigger warning: we see this same uncle lure Lucinda to him at midnight and force himself upon her. And he’s just the first man Lucinda encounters that cares more about the comfort her body can give them than the woman they are accosting. There are very few men in this book who don’t look at Lucinda as a toy to be used and discarded which is a very disheartening view.

“Lucinda we’ll call you,” she said solemnly- a name that to her epitomized everything that was grand, noble and expensive.

At the end of the day, I would give this book a solid 3 stars. The second half of the book is more interesting because we really see Lucinda start to grow. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoy fairy tale retellings and the struggle of women to find their place within the world.

Look for Slipper to release April 14th! Preorder your copy today!

I received a free copy of this ebook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and unbiased.

I have a weakness for those stories that debunk already established fairy tales. Unluckily this was not the book for me. The framework of the story is good and the idea of a reality with a cinderella like character based four centuries ago was interesting along with the short introduction to fairy tales themselves. 

The narration is also well done and the passage of time adds layers to the lead characters. The story is a different take on the various fairy tales that all of us have interacted with at one time or the other. The majority of the tales have had a damsel in distress who is rescued by a man. The current trend of animated retellings have tried to shake that stereotype. This version does the same thing. There is no rescue imminent and Lucinda  our 'cinderella' has to make the best of her hard life. She starts off extremely naive with life teaching her multiple hard lessons. It has a realistic spin in it and that is where it lost me. Unfortunately , I like a bit of happiness to be present somewhere within the spine of a tale. I found the despair filled life of hers hard to read along with all that she has to bear, but that is probably just my weakness and it might suit people who are willing to try different books.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a completely different (and much more realistic) take on the Cinderella story. Lucinda is such a strong character who, no matter how many people try and push her down, always gets back up to make the best with what she's been given in life.

This book is sad and frustrating, yet also hopeful. You can't help but cheer Lucinda on as goes moves from England, to France, Amsterdam to Paris. While her happy ending is quite the one we're familiar with, it's still a great story nonetheless. Definitely recommend this one!

Thank you Netgalley and Van Horton Books for the ARC

This is a very special novel. It kept me engaged and guessing what was real and what was not all the way until the end, including the author's notes.  I enjoyed the adult historical fiction and smiled like a little girl reading a fairytale. 
We are guided by Charles Perrault, founding father of the original tale, who's voice we hear through anecdotes and life lessons, explaining elements of the story to his audience. It felt nurturing, like being read to as a child. I liked discovering the origins of the Silver Spoon and a Broken Heart.
We're following the life of Lucinda, born a bastard child in England's 17th century. After the dead of her mother she's left in the care of her non-committed family, destined for spinsterhood in a society full of pretty girls and nasty men.
Daydreaming of Prince Charming, mesmerized, on we go, to France and then the Low Countries. We end up in the French-Dutch offensive. Through this warzone Lucinda makes it to Amsterdam and then to Paris, making a name for herself painting portraits for the high and mighty. She becomes a member of a salon of strong, artistic woman and eventually finds her place in life.
Slipper is a satisfying read, highly recommended.

Quite a good treatment of the Cinderella story. Bit of Moll Flanders in there too. Very well written, lovely, sad and wise.  Highly recommended. 

This review was based on an ARC ebook received by the publisher in return for an honest, unbiased review.