The Queen of Hearts has always been such an easy character to hate in children’s fiction. She was (at least until Tim Burton came along) always portrayed as an overweight, unappealing looking woman who was quick to anger and had a habit of yelling ‘off with their heads’. But she was so comical, or at the very least such an incredibly unlikeable character, that I never wondered how or why she became like that? How did someone so obviously mean win the affections of the dopey and bumbling, but sweet, King of Hearts? Well, much like Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked gave us the sympathetic backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, Marissa Meyer’s 2016 novel Heartless tells us the story of Lady Catherine Pinkerton, who, if her parents and the King get their way, will be the next Queen of Hearts.
However what Cath wants is a simple life. She dreams of running her own bakery with her friend (and maid) Mary Ann, and maybe one day marrying the mysterious and handsome court jester (the not so originally named ‘Jest’).
What starts off as a fluffy romance novel (set in a Victorian London inspired Wonderland) quickly becomes a dark and twisted tale about love, betrayal, and hard choices.
Posted by Sas
Catalogue link: Heartless
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