Like so many authors, Julie Berry was a reader as a child, but she grew up on a farm, so there were also many things to do — play with the pigs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, cats, and dogs; catch minnows, crawdads (crayfish for the northerners), frogs, and turtles; and probably muck out stables and other icky chores, but she described it as “[h]eaven.” The youngest of seven children, she’s now got four sons of her own, a husband, a cat, a B.S. in communications from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an M.F.A. from the Vermont College of the Fine Arts, and a published novel — this one.

Our heroine, Lucinda Chapdelaine, is the daughter of wealthy merchants — or was, until they passed away under odd circumstances. Now she’s an assistant in her uncle’s jewelry shop; well, essentially the slave of her aunt, who works her to the bone, abuses her, and tells Lucinda that she should be grateful for all that they’ve done since her parents died and left her with nothing. One day a mysterious woman comes into the shop, and asks to have Lucinda’s uncle reset a jewel for her. It’s actually a very large pearl, and it sets off an odd series of events that turn Lucinda’s life completely upside down. Who is the mysterious woman? Why do so many people want the pearl? And will her life ever settle down?

This is, although to my recollection it doesn’t say on the inside flap, a retelling of the Cinderella story. A young woman of good family and money is reduced to being a slave, but due to the presence of a mysterious magic-working woman, manages to go to the ball and catch the eye of a prince. Of course, the story is made more complicated by the magic-working woman living in Lucinda’s parents’ old house, a large backstory for the magic-working woman, the presence of a thief and a good deal of pocket-picking, and a treaty-borne fiancee for the prince involved. I am certainly not judging the story poorly for this — I love fairy-tale retellings, and this one is pretty darn good.

Lucinda shows a fair amount of spunk and initiative, which is a bit unusual for a young woman who was in her situation. I also enjoyed the fact that she met the prince more than once, and actually had a conversation with him, before they fell madly in love at the ball. (I exaggerate about their relationship, but it’s in line with the Cinderella story.) I’m not entirely sure I liked the Amaranth Witch herself. While she was intended to be a sympathetic character — and overall she was — I found something just a bit odd about her that inhibited my empathy. Perhaps it was that she was from an alternate world. On the other hand, I liked the thief, a lot. He was probably supposed to steal the show anyway, and he did.

While I wouldn’t say that this story is ground-breaking in any way, Ms. Berry did an admirable job of juggling familiar elements to make a tale that is very readable, and solid entertainment for an afternoon. It’s pretty cinematic, as well, and other than the presence of Ella Enchanted, I would expect this to come up as a children’s movie. She implied on her website that other novels are in the works, and I’d love to see what she will do in the future, perhaps with other fairy tales. I’d like to know more about the world from which the Amaranth Witch comes, as well. 4/5 stars.