A Fantasy Author’s Memoir Turns from Fairy Tale to Nightmare

I know Betsy Cornwell’s writing from her six young adult novels. From Mechanica, where a Steampunk inventor Cinderella wants to go to a technological convention more than a ball, to her gender-flipped, patriarchy-fighting Robinhood story The Forest Queen, I loved reading her fresh takes on well-known stories. Cornwell’s books took fairy tales but twisted them so the magic wasn’t in chosen one characters, enchanted objects, or ridiculously good luck. The magic was in the ability of communities to take care of each other.

While Cornwell’s books include romantic storylines–many of them featuring queer relationships–their happy endings focus on characters gaining acceptance and fighting against injustice and inequality. After reading these lush and lyrically written fantasies, I was interested in how Cornwell would tell her own story in her first memoir and book aimed at adults.

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