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When Etienne de Brabant’s wife dies unexpectedly in childbirth, he finds himself alone with an infant daughter he cannot bear to name. He abandons her for king and court, but not before bringing a second child — a baby boy whose identity he does not reveal — to be raised alongside her.
The girl, Cendrillon, and the boy, Raoul, become close friends as they grow up together at the Brabant seaside estate, but in their 16th year the quiet routine of their simple life is suddenly broken. A very fine lady arrives with her two daughters — a lady who has married Cendrillon’s father.
When an invitation to a great ball at the capital reaches the family, Cendrillon’s new stepmother makes a decision that triggers more far-reaching effects that they expected. Soon Cendrillon and Raoul find themselves far from home, faced with a destiny that challenges their understanding of family and reveals to them who they truly are.
I enjoyed reading Before Midnight even more than I expected. It’s not a perfect story by any means. It lacks conflict, it has a rushed ending, and all the characters suffer from love at first sight. However, this book is a happily ever after story in every sense of the word. I read it in one sitting, and there is something completely refreshing and magical about the tale. In the flood of Cinderella retellings, it’s definitely a lighthearted new take.
Rated: None.
