Part of Series
Ella sees herself as ugly and overweight, because that is what her shallow step-sisters tell her she is. She spends more and more time in front of the sinister mirror her step-mother gave her, its dard image giving her a distorted image of herself. Cruel teasing by a young guy triggers Ella into episodes of overeating and bulimia, adn she becomes dangerously thin. Can Ella's friends in the Circle find a way to help? Or has Ella become so obsessed with her mirror world that she can no loner distinguish her true self from a false refelction? PRINCESS is a multi-layered retelling of the classic Cinderella tale of transformation, exploring issues of adolescent self-image, the beauty myth and the power of friendship.
Author
Years ago, Melaina Faranda washed up on Thursday Island penniless and soaking, with a single change of clothes, only to be loaned an entire new wardrobe and given three jobs on the first day, including working at the local bakery. Someone gave her a house to live in, people took her out fishing and told stories, and a wonderful old islander gave her the same precious gift Edie receives before returning to Cairns. Melaina has since traveled across Australia and around the world, with many elements of these journeys finding their way into her novels, including The Circle series and Big Sky, but she has yet to discover a place where there is more generosity and open-heartedness than that shown by the Thursday Islanders.
