I love fairy tales rewritten with a twist! In this story Agnes, Cinderella's stepmother, is portrayed in a caring and compassionate way. In spite of her many misfortunes and obstacles to overcome, she succeeds in her desire to support herself and her daughters. As Agnes herself says, "Compelling fiction often obscures the humble truth". The humble truth is that Agnes is the daughter of a serf who has no money. When her mother dies, she goes to work in the laundry of the manor where she is treated cruelly by the head laundress. Through clever scheming she secures a job at Ellis Abbey and Lady Wenslock teaches her how to read - an invaluable skill. She is seduced by Fernan, the abbess's ward, and becomes pregnant and unmarried. Through a lucky twist of fate she is not married to a man in her village and creates a home for herself, Fernan, and their two children. She also successfully runs an alehouse.
Fate frowns on her again when Fernan dies. Because she and Fernan were not married the alehouse becomes the property of the abbey. She is sent back to Aviceford Manor where she worked as a laundress. However, this time she works as a lady's maid. At Aviceford Manor she succeeds in winning Lord Emont's heart and convincing him to marry her even though his first response to her suggestion is, "Marry you? I could sooner marry my horse." Agnes manages to convince him that the fact that she is not gentry will not be detrimental to their marriage.
Enter Emont's daughter, shy, sensitive, and sweet Ella (Cinderella) who has never had to do a day's work in her life and who has not had to endure anything that Agnes has. There's bound to be some friction and misunderstanding.
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