She dreams of a future where she can be acknowledged for who she really is, and when a princess invites her to the ball it seems she must decide between this dream and the new one that arises when she sees the beautiful princess…Ĭinderella is not one of my favorite fairy tales but, given that the premise involves the importance of mistaken identities and transformation, I think the idea of trans Cinderella is a pretty brilliant one, and I was sold on the idea pretty much as soon as I heard about this novella.

Spoilers and discussion of transphobia follow.Īight, I’m not going to explain the basic premise of Cinderella to you, but what you should know for this re-telling is that Ella is trans and her stepfamily refuses to acknowledge that she is a woman. But it's hard to forget the greatest night of her life when every rose she plants is a reminder. Dumped by her wicked stepmother on the farthest edge of the kingdom, Ella must find a way to let go of the princess and the beautiful life they shared for an hour. For a moment she glimpses a world that can accept her, and she holds on tight. The princess is elegant, bold, and everything Ella never knew she wanted. While Princess Lizabetta invited Cole to the ball, she doesn't blink an eye when Cinderella is the one who shows. For the first time, strangers see a woman when she walks down the stairs. Where else can she go?Īn opportunity to attend the royal ball transforms Ella's life. She cooks, she cleans, and she tolerates being called the wrong name for the sake of a roof over her head. Eleanor can't stand her, and after Ella's father passes she's forced to revert to Cole, a lump of a son. She was happier in skirts than trousers, but that was before her stepmother moved in. She's known since she was young being a woman just fit better.

Cinder and ella book 3