Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" (Once upon a Time)

In this swoony reimagining of the classic Cinderella fairy tale, a girl with no name and a boy with no history grow up together in isolation until the arrival of La Cendrillon’s stepfamily disrupt their quiet existence and bring long-kept secrets to light.

Etienne de Brabant is brokenhearted. His wife has died in childbirth, leaving him alone with an infant daughter he cannot bear to name. But before he abandons her for king and court, he brings a second child to be raised alongside her, a boy whose identity he does not reveal.

The girl, La Cendrillon, and the boy, Raoul, pass sixteen years in the servants’ care until one day a very fine lady arrives with her two daughters. The lady has married La Cendrillon’s father, and her arrival changes their lives.

When an invitation to a great ball reaches the family, La Cendrillon’s new stepmother will make a decision with far-reaching effects. Her choice will lead La Cendrillon and Raoul toward their destiny—a choice that will challenge their understanding of family, test their loyalty and courage, and, ultimately, teach them who they are.

Cameron Dokey is the author of nearly thirty young adult novels. Her fairy tales include The Storyteller’s Daughter, Sunlight and Shadow, and Golden. She also wrote the #1 bestselling How Not to Spend Your Senior Year. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and four cats.