Brilliantly written, Bitter Greens weaves the story of French author of Rapunzel, Charlotte Rose, with a gripping retelling of the story itself, set in Renaissance Venice. Mesmerising descriptions of The Sun King’s court at Versailles, glimpses of Paris and the wild beauty of southern France map the stifling, utterly controlled life women in the 1600s were forced to live whilst showing how resourceful women had to be to survive and remain creative, free and alive. This was a long, satisfying read, the pace was engaging with characters that caught me up, made my heart race, and who didn’t leave me disappointed. I would highly recommend this excellent read.

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth is a unique blend of historical fiction and fairy tale retelling mixing the story of Rapunzel with that of Charlotte - Rose de la Force, the French noblewoman who penned a version of the tale while in exile from the court of the Sun King Louis XIV as well as that of Selena Leonelli, a Venetian courtesan who was a muse to the artist Titian. I have never really read a book that blends these genres so successfully so I was impressed at how balanced the blend of magic and history felt and how well the author was able to weave fact and fiction together. The reader is transported to 16th century Venice as we learn of Selena, the daughter of a courtesan who later becomes a courtesan herself, obsessed with youth and beauty, so much so that she is willing to resort to witchcraft to achieve it. Also known as La Strega Bella, she becomes the witch in the Rapunzel tale we all know so well when she claims Margherita, the young daughter of her neighbours and locks her away in an isolated tower so that she can use her for the magical rituals she believes will keep her young.
In 17th Century France Charlotte-Rose is caught up in the pomp and ritual of the Royal Court but her propensity for getting herself embroiled in scandals including failed love affairs and her refusal to renounce her religion results in her banishment to a nunnery and a life far more simple that she is used to. While there she befriends one of the nuns and from her learns the story of Margherita and Selena, a story that inspires her to create a tale of her own that has stood the test of time. It is her story that anchors the book and she is the character the reader spends the most time with, and while it took me some time to connect with her, by the end of the book she had really grown on me. It is clear that the author invested a lot of time into her research and that pays off in the rich historical details and descriptions that helped to transport me to another time and place. The commentary on the historical struggles of women is clear and thought provoking but not overpowering, it is a thread that is deftly woven through all three tales that make up this book. This is a long book with a lot of detail and I will say that I did struggle to get to grips with it at first but once I was able to dedicate some time to it I soon found myself captivated by the story.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I love books that are fairy tale retelling or books that are loosely based on fairy tales and so I ate this up literally. I devoured it in a day - luckily I had a hefty commute. I loved the writing style, the story line, the characters. I loved everything

I did enjoy "Bitter Greens" by Kate Forsyth but was somewhat put off by the sheer length of the book (about 12 hours reading) to start off with. However after a marathon reading session of about 5 hours, I'd read quite a big chunk of it. This book interweaves three stories, loosely based on Rapunzel and breathing new life into this fairy tale. A wonderful read.

Based on a real person, this is wonderful historical fiction. There is a version of Repunzel, and the story of La Strega, the witch. Then there is Charlotte Rose, whose attempts at making a good life for herself were always thwarted. Above all, it looks at the ways women have tried to survive in a man’s world. This book transported me to a long ago time, but the stories really resonated with me. I loved the ending, what a clever tie in. There is also religious significance as well as the actions of the Sun King, which makes for great reading. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its reflections on life. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A;though this is billed as the alternative tale of Rapunzel it is actually concerning 3 womwn who are connected by situations in their lives.

The title Bitter Greens refers to Margherita, who is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens and now she, like Rapunzel is locked in the tower unable to escape.

This is a beautiful and compelling tale. I absolutely adored the 3 women and the authors retelling is wonderfully told and the writing is divine.

I love how the story is told from the feminine side, it has everything you could hope for as a reader, Magic romance and it is also has a very dark edgy vibe.