A Young Woman Searches for Herself in Belle: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

As someone who has always loved fairy tales, I was excited to discover the Once Upon a Time series of young adult novels focusing on these beloved characters, many of which were introduced to contemporary children through Disney movies. While Disney did not provide my introduction to Beauty and the Beast, it was through that Best Picture-nominated movie that I truly fell in love with the story. Since then, I have encountered several retellings of the story, most recently the Once Upon a Time novel Belle, written by Cameron Dokey.

Earlier this year, I read Beauty, one of two Robin McKinley novels that retell this tale, and many of the elements present in that novel are here as well. In both cases, the title character is the narrator, and she does not consider herself to be beautiful, particularly since she has two older sisters who so clearly fit with traditional notions of beauty. In both books, those sisters are just as kind as they are lovely, particularly once their life circumstances change and they must work harder to sustain themselves. Once again, Belle is especially close to her father, who is a wealthy merchant. When several of his ships vanish at sea – one carrying the love of her sister’s life – he sells all he has to provide for the families of his sailors, then moves his family into a country cottage resting on the edge of an ominous forest steeped in dark legends.

This 200-page-long novel has little in common with the Disney film aside from an arrogant young suitor along the lines of Gaston, but his role in the book is surprisingly small. The beginning sets us up to expect his return later, but that never happens. Instead, his presence merely seems to be a means of improving Belle’s relationship with one of her sisters and causing her to contemplate the possibility the she might possess beauty of an unconventional nature. Interestingly, in this book, Belle’s mother is alive and well, though she does not enjoy the strong rapport with Belle that her father does. However, Belle does have a firm supporter in Alphonse, a lifelong friend of her father’s. The gentle mentor role he slips into makes him possibly my favorite side character in the novel. I also like Corbeau, the spirited horse who bonds with Belle after showing her the way to the Beast’s castle.

Dokey has written several books in the Once Upon a Time series, including Wild Orchid, which is about Mulan. In both stories, a particular tree plays a very significant role in the plot. Here, it’s the heartwood tree, a majestic tree with a beautiful legend surrounding it. When Belle hears of it, she is intrigued, since she has a special gift for woodworking and longs to uncover the secret that lies within its depths. It is this tree, instead of the rose found in most versions of the tale, that causes the Beast to turn on Belle’s father and leads to her decision to go to the castle in his place.

It seems in Belle’s nature to be introspective, but here she is perhaps excessively so. Dokey spends a lot of time in her head as she philosophizes about the true nature of Beauty. She has other concerns as well, but she keeps coming back to this one. What does it really mean to have Beauty, and can she ever hope to possess this quality herself? It’s partly because of all this time in Belle’s head that we are nearly three quarters of the way through the book before she ever meets the Beast. While I like the way the story unfolds, it feels strange to have this central relationship relegated to such a small portion of the novel. Additionally, we don’t get very many details about Belle’s stay in the castle, and aside from Corbeau, the place seems very lonely, with Belle and the Beast interacting only at twilight and no other entities, human or not, making an appearance.

While I would have preferred to see more of the novel directly involving Belle’s stay with the Beast, Belle is well-written overall and a nice take on the classic tale. The heartwood tree is an especially intriguing addition. It’s not my favorite version of the story, but Dokey still shows us how much there is to love about this courageous young woman who doesn’t quite conform to societal expectations.

Cameron Dokey Brings the Spirited Mulan to Life in Wild Orchid

When I think of brave Disney princesses, Belle usually comes to mind first. However, Mulan – technically not a princess at any point in her Disney existence but still lumped in with the rest – is even braver, posing as a man so she can go off to war in her ailing father’s place. The devotion this young heroine of Ancient China showed to her father touched me, and her courage and independent spirit reminded me of Eowyn, my favorite female character in Lord of the Rings. I’d never heard of Mulan before the Disney movie came out in 1998, but The Ballad of Mulan, the tale from which she emerged, is as beloved in some corners of the world as Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. Hence, her story is a part of Simon Pulse’s Once Upon a Time Series, which includes novelizations of a dozen or so famous folk and fairy tales.

Cameron Dokey, who also wrote six other books in the series, is the author behind Wild Orchid, the tale of Mulan that was published in 2009. It bears little resemblance to the Disney version except in its basic storyline: Ancient Chinese tomboy goes to war in her father’s place, falls in love with her commander and saves China. The rest of the details are completely different, so if this book was influenced in any way by the Disney version, Dokey seems to have made a concentrated effort to make them completely distinct from each other.

This version is entirely devoid of any fantastical elements: no talking dragon, no conferring ancestors. Mulan, who narrates the book, is significantly younger, just 14 years old when she joins the army. Raised by Min Xian, an elderly housekeeper who doesn’t keep a very tight rein on her, Mulan is the daughter of a respected general who she doesn’t meet until the age of 13 and his beloved wife who died giving birth to her. Their marriage for love was unusual, a gift granted by the Emperor for her father’s exceptional service. Hence, while everything about this story feels pretty natural and plausible, there is a slight mystical sense that because Mulan was born of such a marriage, even though she grew up in the absence of her parents, she has a heart that is destined to follow its own path.

What surprised me most about this book, which contains 19 chapters and about 200 pages, is the fact that Mulan does not leave home until more than halfway through. We spent a lot of time getting to know her through her unconventional childhood, which is filled with clandestine lessons from her best friend, a neighbor boy named Li Po. While Min Xian insists that she develop feminine skills like embroidery and weaving, she spends her free time gaining a much more interesting education from Li Po. By the time her father returns, she is adept at reading and writing, horseback riding, swordplay and especially archery. But what will her father think of such a rough-and-tumble daughter?

In many ways, this is a father-daughter story. Mulan longs for her father’s love and approval, but she resents his lack of contact throughout her childhood and his refusal to allow her to know her mother’s name. Slowed down by an old war injury and tortured by the thought that history could repeat itself with his second pregnant wife, he is in genuine danger when the summons to fight comes, particularly since he has fallen out of favor with the Emperor and is now only being asked to fight as a regular soldier, but Mulan’s decision to go in his place is almost as much about gaining his respect as it is an attempt to spare him further pain. It’s also an attempt to discover who she really is. She notes repeatedly that she is not like other girls, and she hopes to find a proper place for herself in the army.

Another difference here is that when she goes to war, she meets with two friends in whom she confides her true identity. One is Li Po, who is apprenticed to the other, General Yuwen, a warm, understanding friend of her father’s to whom she became close during his stay in the household after his return home. Having two such highly respected people in on her secret and looking after her makes it a much less lonely and frightening experience. It helps, too, that she quickly forms a curious kinship with Prince Jian, the youngest and most beloved of the Emperor’s sons, after demonstrating her ability with a bow and arrow and her knack for speaking with wisdom and diplomacy. She and the prince seem to understand each other, but does she dare reveal her true identity, and will she have the strength to face the ferocious Huns when they venture forth into battle?

I found this book very well-written and moving. There’s a formal quality to the writing that seems appropriate for the culture in which Mulan is raised. She is extraordinarily well-spoken for a 14-year-old, but then in her world, that is practically considered an adult; it is not at all uncommon for girls to be married off at 15. The unusual freedom she enjoyed in her formative years gives her a deeper level of maturity, even as it contributes to her wild nature. One interesting aspect of this book is the emphasis on names and how they help define and reveal a person’s character. Mulan means “wood orchid,” a fitting description for a spirit so lovely and untamed. Dokey does an excellent job of making her and those she loves real to readers, and I look forward to seeing if she fares just as well with other beloved folk figures.