In this retelling of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, baby Rosie is whisked away and carefully hidden by fairies for nearly twenty-one years in an attempt to thwart the curse laid upon her by a vengeful evil fairy: That she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into an eternal sleep.

I really enjoy McKinley’s beautiful prose. Her descriptions are vivid and lifelike. However, I found the story in this retelling slow and a bit dry.