Door in the Hedge

rare combination of luminous and edgy

This collection contains two original stories (The Stolen Princess; The Princess and the Hind) and two retellings of familiar tales (The Princess and the Frog; The 12 Dancing Princesses). McKinley has a knack for clear, deft prose that flows like water without being slick in the modern sense; her stories are woven, not written. This book is highly enjoyable for all the right reasons: characters that live on after the story ends, and a masterful blending of pathos and humor. The girls in these stories are sympathetic as they deal with events outside their control, the ideal of friendship, developing self-esteem and self-awareness, how to deal with obligations, and the expectations of others.