Cinderella Liberator

Front Cover
Haymarket Books, 2019 - Juvenile Fiction - 29 pages

"This is a reminder of hope and possibility, of kindness and compassion, and--perhaps most salient--imagination and liberty. Through the imaginations of our childhoods, can we find our true selves liberated in adulthood?"

--Chelsea Handler



In her debut children's book, Rebecca Solnit reimagines a classic fairytale with a fresh, feminist Cinderella and new plot twists that will inspire young readers to change the world, featuring gorgeous silhouettes from Arthur Rackham on each page.


In this modern twist on the classic story, Cinderella, who would rather just be Ella, meets her fairy godmother, goes to a ball, and makes friends with a prince. But that is where the familiar story ends. Instead of waiting to be rescued, Cinderella learns that she can save herself and those around her by being true to herself and standing up for what she believes.



Rebecca Solnit is the author of more than twenty books including Men Explain Things to Me, Call Them by Their True Names, Hope in the Dark, and The Mother of All Questions.



Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was a prominent British illustrator of many classic children's books from The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm to Sleeping Beauty. His watercolor silhouettes were featured in the original edition of Cinderella.


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About the author (2019)

Rebecca Solnit writes extensively on photography and landscape. She is a contributing editor to Art Issues and Creative Camera and is the author of three books. She has contributed essays to several museum catalogues including Crimes and Splendors: The Desert Cantos of Richard Misrach and the Whitney Museum's Beat Culture and the New America. She was a 1993 recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was described by The London Times as "one of the most eminent book illustrators of his day" with " a special place in the hearts of children." He was a prominent British illustrator of many classic children's books from The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm to Sleeping Beauty to Fairy Tales by Hans Andersen and dozens more. His illustrations from the 1919 edition of Cinderella are timeless examples of his unique and beautiful watercolor sillouettes.