Cinderella's Daughter
An introduction to her upcoming novel by Diane Samuels
The territory which fascinates me is the fine line between imagination and
"real life." All my work seeks to explore the question: where do fiction
and fact meet? Cinderella's Daughter is my most personal forray into this
area so far. I have always been intrigued by the way people identify with
ancient myths. A while back I was excited to unearth a lesser-known strand
of the Cinderella story. This is my revival of this version, which is just
as ancient as the one we all know with the cruel stepmother and wicked
sisters. I tamper with this story shamelessly. The inspiration behind my
tamperings is explored in the life story I also tell alongside the mythical
narrative. My version begins one year after the death of Cinderella. Her
daughter, princess Amanda, on the verge of womanhood and her bereaved
father, the king, must end their period of mourning beside the dead queen's
grave. Working as gravediggers nearby are the daughters of one of the
Cinderella's step-sisters, Florence and Gloria Ugly. When the king is
required to find a new wife, the ghosts from the past rear their heads as
the challenge of the crystal slipper is once again fielded.