May 2026 Reading

Two books stood out for me in May: Lady Tremaine, a retelling of Cinderella, which read more like historical fiction than fantasy (probably why I liked it so much); and In Farleigh Field, set in the British countryside during WWII, which featured a heroine working at Bletchley Park (how sad I was born too late to fulfill my codebreaking dream; never mind the fact that I do not possess the right skills).

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser - a retelling of Cinderella

Cinderella is one of those stories that everyone knows and accepts the basic premise: cruel stepmother, exploited stepdaughter, bullying stepsisters, a fairy godmother, and a prince to rescue Ella from the ashes. Some modern versions provide a heroine who focuses on self-actualization over marriage as a form of rescue but those are less likely to find favor among little girls who love the Disney princesses. So I was intrigued to hear about this book which tells the Cinderella story from the point of view of the stepmother.