In this fractured fairy-tale debut, narrator Susan Hanfield adds vocal perfection to Morrison’s rich characters. Rapunzel knows only her tower and Witch, who takes care of her every need. When Jack comes to her tower with stories of injured fairies, cures, fairy magic harmful to Witch, and stories of Witch’s lies, Rapunzel reluctantly agrees to descend into the world she’s been taught to fear. Hanfield handles Rapunzel’s emotional transitions from incredulous disbelief to all-consuming love for Witch and to her ultimate transformation from a spoiled and sheltered girl into a confident and trustworthy companion. Hanfield’s portrayal of Witch switches effortlessly between sweet and motherly and cold and raspy. Hanfield nails each character no matter the role, creating a magnificent performance. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
There is a veritable treasure trove of fairy tales and retellings for young readers on the horizon these days—so many that I fell into a delightful rabbit hole of middle grade fairy tales while writing this (with zero regrets). From those that set the tales on a whole new path and take the story in new […]