The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin

by Suzanne Weyn

Book Overview

Once upon a Time Is Timeless

The year is 1880, and Bertie, having just arrived in New York with her family, is grateful to be given work as a seamstress in the home of textile tycoon J. P. Wellington. When the Wellington family fortune is threatened, Bertie's father boasts that Bertie will save the business, that she is so skillful she can practically spin straw into gold.

Amazingly, in the course of one night, Bertie...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416959432
• ISBN13: 9781416959434
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Spin It Again, Rumplestiltskin!

The fun thing about these reworked fairy tales in the Once Upon A Time series is seeing how the books manage to keep the essence of the traditional fairy tale while transforming it into something entirely new and different. This didn't have as much in common with its traditional tale as some of these books have. I really enjoyed stumbling upon these connections as the book went along. Crimson Thread is the tale of a young Irish woman Bridge, who comes to America with her widowed father, three brothers, and toddler sister. Bridge's father is an exaggerator who gets a job as a stable hand by pretending to not be Irish. Then he lies to the seamstress of the household where he works. He tells her that his daughter is the best seamstress in the land. He shows his shirt and says Bridge made it but it was truly made by her deceased mother. Bridget gets the job and falls for the oldest son and heir to the household and family business. Bridget must again live up to her father's boasts when he claims she can make a fabulous and fashionable dress out of drab blue cloth. In desperation, Bridget tells this to Ray Stalls, a street friend who seems to be around whenever Bridget needs help. He takes her to a basement where there is a spinning wheel and he makes the dress for her....then he agrees to make two more in exchange for her firstborn child. Even if you take Rumplestiltskin out of this tale altogether, it still an absolutely lovely fairy tale. The author did a great job of keeping secrets that slowly reveal themselves along the way. I was delighted with the is book and its one of my favorite in the series thus far. For teens and adults who still believe in fairy tales.

The Compulsive Reader's Reviews

Bridget O'Malley never anticipated that making a living in New York City as an Irish immigrant would be so hard. Her family is struggling to stay afloat, and consider themselves lucky for the jobs they do have working in J.P. Wellington's household, even if they do have to change their names to avoid persecution. Bridget, now Bertie Miller, is a seamstress, and her father and brother are coachmen. But when it looks as if the Wellingtons' business may be in jeopardy, along with the Millers' jobs, Bertie's father tells outrageous lies of Bertie's abilities to turn ordinary fabric into shimmering and fashionable dresses. Bertie is in a state of despair when the mysterious Ray Stalls offers his assistance...and manages to do what Bertie's father claimed. Soon Bertie finds herself caught up between her debt and obligation to Ray, and her one chance to ascend the social ladder and become successful and prosperous. The Crimson Thread is a sweet and whimsical retelling of Rumpelstilstskin that turns the old tale around completely. It reads more like a historical fiction novel than a fairy tale, and gives a fairly accurate depiction of life for Irish immigrants in New York City along the way, with a dash of the glitz and glamour of the life of the obscenely rich. The pacing of the book is slightly slow at the beginning, but then evens out quickly, making this regrettably short read fly by. The characters are engaging and varied and the magical elements are very light--so much so that it allows readers to speculate as to whether there is any magic at all--but Weyn doesn't divulge any secrets. She manages to create an air of improbability within the story, mirroring Bertie's own uncertain circumstances, which leaves the reader to always wonder what will happen next. But Weyn doesn't disappoint and, through some clever wordplay and neat plotting, brings the story together in a romantic and satisfying end.

Just Amazing

This is one of the most interesting takes on the original fairy tales. It has a modern twist that just adds to the story. I like the ending better then the original. Read the other books with the hint A Retelling of you will never forget this wonderful stories.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Bridget O'Malley and her family are new immigrants to America in 1880 looking for a better life full of riches and dreams come true. Things in America aren't immediately wonderful and the family finds themselves looking for jobs and food while living in a small cramped tenement apartment in New York City. In order to obtain a job as a coachman with the wealthy J.P. Wellington, Bridget's father changes the family name to Miller and boasts that his daughter, now known as Bertie, is an impressive seamstress. Paddy is quite the storyteller, and although Bertie has a talent for sewing, her skills are not quite what her father claims. When the Wellington's find their family fortune in the textile industry in jeopardy, Paddy once again makes an outrageous claim about Bertie -- this time claiming she has the talent to spin straw into gold and fashion ugly plain fabric into stunning dresses with intricate designs. Bertie fears there is no way she can design and create the dresses expected of her. Desperate and in need, Bertie finds herself relying on the mysterious Ray Stalls for help. THE CRIMSON THREAD is the latest addition to the ONCE UPON A TIME series, a series filled with retellings of fairy tales. Setting the story of Rumpelstiltskin amidst immigrants, wealth, and fashion of 1880 was an interesting take on the famous tale and added a touch of magic. I would imagine the story of Rumpelstiltskin a difficult story to re-tell, but the author added her own twist on the tale and characters which made it unique. A wonderful addition to the series and a must read for fairy tale lovers. Reviewed by: Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen