The Magic Mirror
Concerning a Lonely Princess, a Foundling Girl, a Scheming King and a Pickpocket Squirrel
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The twisty-turny journey of a girl searching for her heart’s desire—glimpsed in a magic mirror. Perfect for fans of Rump or Catherine, Called Birdy
A foundling girl with a crooked leg and a crutch doesn’t expect life to be easy. Indeed, Maggie’s dearest wish is to simply not feel so alone. So when she spies a man behind bars in a magic mirror said to show one’s truest desire, she feels sure he is the father she’s always longed for—and she sets off on a quest to find him.
Along the way, Maggie meets both kindly pilgrims and dastardly highwaymen. She discovers she bears a striking resemblance to the princess Petranilla. Their connection is so remarkable that Petra believes Maggie must be her lost sister who fell from the castle wall and was swept downriver as a baby.
What a turn of fate! From reviled foundling to beloved royal! But being the lost princess turns out to be more curse than blessing given the schemes of the current king... And if Maggie’s a princess, then who is the man she spied in the magic mirror?
This is a grand middle grade adventure story full of mistaken identities, lost loves, found families, and a tantalizing tinge of magic.
"I love this book—an uproarious, thoughtful, touching, absurd, ans altogether splendid adventure." —Karen Cushman, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Midwife's Apprentice and Catherine, Called Birdy
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this medieval adventure, Long (Whistle in the Dark) blends classic fairy tale elements with swift pacing and broad humor. Created through a combination of alchemy and glassmaking, the magic mirror of the title reveals different truths to those who behold it. After drawing readers in with a scene teasing royal murder and intrigue, Long jumps ahead 10 years as the mirror comes into the possession of a 15-year-old foundling named Margaret, known for her limp. Margaret sees a man with wild green eyes in the mirror, and she decides to seek him out, fleeing the home of her ill-tempered protector after the threat of an unwanted betrothal. Once on the road, Margaret encounters a motley crew including a highway robber, a musically talented pilgrim, and a princess to whom Margaret bears a striking resemblance. While some of the narrative devices used are a bit convenient, Long's story is full of twists and surprises. Margaret may not get a traditional happy ending, but her triumph proves all the more satisfying for it. Ages 8 12.
