Briar Rose
by Jane Yolen
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jane YolenEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-03-15
ISBN: 0765342308
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Tor Teen
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780765342300
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Briar Rose
Book Review: Thorn and Twine
Summary: 5 Stars
The heartwarming story of Sleeping Beauty and the bone chilling tales of the Holocaust are tied together in Jane Yolen's unforgettable novel of Briar Rose. As a child Becca (Rebecca) always loved the stories that Gemma, her grandmother tells her. Her sisters, Shana and Sylvia also love their grandmother's stories; however, one always stays in their minds, the one of Sleeping Beauty. Gemma tells the story of Sleeping Beauty countless times in the course of the girl's childhood. As Shana and Sylvia mature, the once favorite bedtime story grows old. Unlike her sisters, Becca loved the story, and it doesn't matter if she hears it a million times, she would still want to hear it again and again. The story of Sleeping Beauty as Gemma tells it takes place in a far, far away kingdom, where a child is born. The king and queen decide to name her Briar Rose. In celebration of the child's birth a party is thrown, and at the party the angel of death comes and curses the baby. Anyone who bears her name, will also be cursed and suffer. The curse stands but the princess was able to outdo the curse by living a wonderful life, marring a prince, and creating a family of her own. The story then progresses to when Gemma is in a nursing home and on the verge of dying. Shana and Sylvia come to visit her but not as much as Becca does, everyday, to hear the wonderful stories. Minutes before Gemma's death, she confesses to Becca that she is the child from the story, she marries a prince, and that she is Briar Rose. Gemma also leaves a wooden box with a carved rose on the top, in her possession. She tells her to find the prince and the castle. After Gemma's death Becca begins to unravel grandmother's past with the worn photographs and documents she finds among the other possessions in the box. The journey to unravel her beloved grandmother's past leads to her love that helps her on her quest. Rebecca's journey takes her to Poland where she stumbles across a man who unlocks the forgotten past. The way that Yolen uses her words to describe the many pictures in the book is truly amazing. The story it self is captivating and motivating at times but Yolen knows just how to capture every kind of emotion.Jane Yolen's novel of the Holocaust tied with that of Sleeping Beauty is a book in which Becca uncovers stories on how certain classes were treated during the Holocaust. One of the characters, Josef Potocki, who reveals some of Gemma's past, is gay. He also tells many of his stories to Becca and her friend Stan, about being a gay, Polish man during the Holocaust. All of his stories show and explain how the gay population was looked down upon in that time and stil today, the horrors that homosexual people faced. It teaches you that not only did gay people suffer, but Polish, some Christians, and Jewish people did as well. Another reason why some readers would recommend this book is because in the concentration by the name of Chelmno, no women who would enter would leave alive. Gemma's character brings admiration to the story, because she was probably the only woman who ever escaped that concentration camp. Her character shows how hard it was for Jewish woman at the time. Both Josef and Gemma suffer for the cause of their identity but both of then are able to succeed in their calling, in which Yolen describes incredibly.
Some readers believe that Briar Rose is a boring book; the parts where Gemma is telling the story, as if it were in the past, are useless and not meaningful to the plot of the story. About every other chapter Gemma tells a part of the story of Briar Rose, as if she were relating it to her grandchildren. Each one of these chapters is important because they add to the story and the plot thickens every time. This book is an informative and interesting read to help peoples' understanding of the Holocaust and how the different minority groups suffered and came through, as well as a twisted story of Sleeping Beauty.
Summary of Briar Rose
A powerful retelling of Sleeping Beauty that is "heartbreaking and heartwarming."
An American Library Association "100 Best Books for Teens"
An American Library Association "Best Books for Young Adults"
Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma's stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma's astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope.
An American Library Association "100 Best Books for Teens"
An American Library Association "Best Books for Young Adults"
Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma's stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma's astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope.
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