Three women and two timelines combine to tell the story of Rapunzel in this retelling of a much loved fairy tale.
The story of Margherita is set in 15 th century Venice, and relates how she came to be locked in a tower and who put her there. She is at first seen as a victim, almost a sacrifice, but as her character develops, she shows a fight and the courage to experience love and how to live life on her own terms.
The story of Charlotte - Rose de la Force, the narrator takes place in 17 th century France. Her life story starts in the glittering court of Versailles, where she has many admirers, is distantly related to the King, and has the role of Maid of Honour to Queen Marie Therese. She finds herself banished and exiled to the Abbey - en- Brie, she is a Huguenot and that becomes a forbidden religion .
Whilst at the Abbey, she is taken under the wing of Sister Seraphina who tends the gardens. Seraphina is afraid of time, and tells Charlotte-Rose of her role in this fairytale. Charlotte - Rose publishes a version of the fairytale in 1698 , called Persinette, this pays tribute to both women, both stories are woven together, but the last piece of this jigsaw doesn’t fall into place until the very end.
I found this to be a very long tale indeed, better editing would have helped, the research was in danger of drowning out the story, less can be more.
I thought it would have read better in two books, one in France and the second in Venice. I can see the connections now, but it took a good while to get there. I did find the story to be rather rambling and repetitive, with the last 30% being the most interesting.
I gave this a three star rating, it would have been higher if the story had been of a tighter construction.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Allison and Busby for my ARC, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Netgalley UK.

I’ve always loved fairy tales, from my very first, and now rather battered copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, to this sumptuous retelling of the story of Rapunzel. The author shares with us the gift of her imagination as she vividly brings to life Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de la Force who had been exiled to a nunnery by the Sun King, Louis XIV. Charlotte was a real person, a teller of tales and it is her 1698 story, Persinette, which inspired the Grimm’s version of Rapunzel.

The story gets off to a bit of slow start but once the main threads of the story come together then it becomes a clever mixture of history, fantasy and fairy tale. It’s always difficult to recreate an old story which has been previously well told but the author does a good job of breathing new life into an old tale. I enjoyed Charlotte-Rose’s story, she’s a fascinating character and a strong woman when women were not treated very well. As a lover of fairy tales I was equally enthralled with Marguerite and Selina both of whom bring everything together in a fascinating way.

It’s been well worth a re-read as Bitter Greens was previously published in 2013. Its bright and attractive new cover art will certainly help to bring the book to a new audience.

This enchanting novel is a retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale, wrapped inside the story of the banishment to a convent in 1697, of novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force, from Louis XIV’s court of Versailles. As strict as the convent rules are, and as difficult as it is for Charlotte-Rose to adjust to her downturn in circumstance, she bonds with Soeur Seraphina over her herb garden, where the two very different women find a kind of peace within the tranquility of nature, as Seraphina relates Rapunzel’s story.
Newly re-released after its original 2014 publishing date, this novel shines in a time where historical novels of gothic darkness and magical realism are in popular abundance. Warmly recommended to readers of lyrical, poetic novels which can sweep us into another world entirely.

Bitter Greens is a dark retelling of Rapunzel. A tale of three women Charlotte Rose who was at the court of King Louis XIX, Marguerite who we know as Rapunzel and Selena a witch who traps Marguerite and who we know as Mother Gothel.It is quite dark and very detailed the writing is beautiful and flows so well I think this is what kept me reading as it was not what I expected it to be.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me a widget to Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Two stories seemingly intertwine, but it takes until the very end for the connection to become clear. This made it hard to truly immerse myself.
In one story we follow Marguarite in 1500's Venice, in the other we get to know Charlotte Rose and her life in Versailles in the 1600's. Absolutely stunning historical fiction. It gets confused when both women are forced to leave their homes, Marguarite ending up in a deserted tower, Charlotte Rose in a convent. Their lives go from abundent and cheerful to poor and sad. Both are survivors. A nice twist a few pages out from the book's finale eventually connects the dots.

I personally think the two stories could work better in seperate novels. I would buy them in a heartbeat! The writing is exquisite, the pace perfect, the surroundings within reach. A moving read.

Thank you Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the ARC.

Know that you might have read this when it was originally published in 2012- I did and I enjoyed it then. It's a richly atmospheric retelling of Rapunzel that focuses on three women whose stories will eventually weave together. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Even leaving aside the fairy tale aspect, it's a good read for fans of historical fiction.

3.5 stars. This book is beautifully written and richly detailed. The ultimate fairy tale. Each of our three heroines are dynamic and interesting, even when they are immoral or, in some cases, downright malicious.

It’s also incredibly slowwwwwwww. Almost overwhelmingly so. It tries to cram in so much that it really bogs down the pace. It really pulled me out at times, because there was a lot of inner monologue and repetition.

Overall it was an enchanting story and I did enjoy reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Forsyth, and Allison & Busby for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bitter Greens is a brilliantly written, dark take on Rapunzel. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this.

This is an epic historical read. It is three stories in one that work together to tell the story of one amazing lady Charlotte-Rose de la Force. Each character’s story has so much detail and depth that you easily get engrossed and lost in time with each story. I honestly would be happy if each character had their own book and even more detailed story as much as I loved each character I was always a little sad when the narrative switched.

The first half of the book is loosely on the story of Rapunzel but set in Venice.The story is seen from the points of view of a girl with long blond hair locked in the tower and her tormentor. Real people of the period appear, such as the artist Titian and the pope of the time. Venice is depicted as a place of contrasts: Carnivale and death, great wealth and poverty, religion and depravity.

The second part is set in 17th century France during Louis XIV’s reign, a time of ardent religious persecution. The ending ties it all together. A good read but not for the faint-hearted.

This is a long but engaging tale based around the tale of rapunzel. It wove together the fates of three women from contrasting backgrounds and made a point that beauty and or riches are not those things we should strive for. Instead we should be accepting of ourselves and look for a genuine love for our long term relationship. The book sees Rapunzel as both victim and someone who fights for her freedom, seeking out her true love rather than waiting passively. There was also quite shocking detail on how the Huguenots were treated during the reign of the sun king, Louis XIV, making this a worthwhile read.

What a fabulous book. It’s a long one but I savoured every page. A retelling of the Rapunzel fairytale told from various POVs and in multiple timelines and set in Italy and France. This is a wonderful mix of historical fiction, magical realism and fairytale. I loved all the historical detail, particularly that of the court in Versailles albeit the gross extravagance, the treatment of women and the actions of the King were reprehensible. It would be one strong woman able to make her mark is such a society.

Briefly, Charlotte-Rose de la Force has spent much of her life in the Versailles court of the Sun King Louis XIV. She is a great storyteller and has had affairs, but then who hasn’t at the court! However, when she displeases the king, in 1697 aged forty three, she is banished to a strict nunnery where her only friend is one of the Sister’s who tends the garden and the beehives. As they garden together the Sister tells her a story… Selena Leonelli is a beautiful women, a courtesan who commands the highest prices, she is the lover of renowned artist Tiziano (Titian) but when her beauty starts to fade she turns to witchcraft. When Margherita was born her parents made a pact, with a witch, for a handful of bitter greens, that they would give the witch their daughter when she reached the age of seven. After some time in a nunnery Margarita was claimed and later locked in a tower, with no means of escape, for many years.

For a book about strong women they all have periods where men dominate much of their lives, not unexpected in such a patriarchal society. Youth and beauty were valuable currency for women and holding on to both as long as possible an obsession for some. The interaction between Charlotte-Rose and one of the Kings mistresses and later with the elderly Sister in the convent were my favourite relationships. An engaging and emotional story about three women who ultimately tried to take some control of their own lives through very different means. A compelling and entertaining read.

Book Review Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Publication date: March 20/25

This sweeping historical fiction is based on the life of Charlotte-Rose de la Force in 17th century France. Aptly named, she is a force to be reckoned with, refusing to succumb to the limited roles available to women in that period. Instead, she seeks independence and tries to pursue a career as a storyteller and writer. The novel fascinatingly weaves together her life story along with her published fairytale Persinette, otherwise known as Rapunzel. This is a captivating tale that highlights the burden borne by women during this time and the many ways they attempt to exert control over their own lives.

Forsyth writes that the only options available to women were: marriage, nunnery or courtesan. Each when explored are still cages, confining the women with its own set of rules and restrictions. The story vividly depicts the circumstances of all three options through the stories of the three MC Charlotte Rose, Selena Leonelli, who is forced to become a courtesan to survive and Margherita, who was sent to a nunnery and then captured in a tower.

The intertwining story lines are enthralling with strong character development and rich historical details that immediately draw you in. The determination and resilience of the women is truly remarkable made even more powerful by the fact that it is based on a real life figure.


Thanks to NetGalley and Allison and Busby for the chance to preview this book, my opinions are my own.

Bitter Greens, a loose retelling of Rapunzel by Kate Forsyth, has been rejacketed and reissued by Alison & Busby for a 2025 release after its original publication in 2012, and it’s easy to see why. Not only does it ride the recent flood of myth and fairy-tale inspired novels, it will appeal to those who enjoyed recent historical fiction by big hitters in women’s fiction such as Jodi Picoult’s By Any Other Name, Tracy Chevalier’s The Glassmaker and Maggie O’Farrell’s The Marriage Portrait. Bitter Greens is a novel of nested stories. We start with Charlotte-Rose de la Force, a French novelist and poet who spent most of her younger adult years at the court of Louis XIV before she was sent to a nunnery in 1697 aged forty-three after becoming the focus of scandalous rumours. Today, de la Force is remembered for her 1698 fairy tale ‘Persinette’, which was one of the sources for the Brothers Grimm’s printed version of ‘Rapunzel’ in 1812.

At the nunnery, Charlotte-Rose listens to a telling of this story from one of the other nuns while also remembering the dramas of her years at court, including several love affairs. A third narrative thread picks up on the story of the witch, Selena, who kept Rapunzel captive in a tower, grounding her story somewhat by giving her a traumatic backstory, a history of prostitution in early sixteenth-century Venice, and an education in spells and herbalism. Because Selena does not age due to her black magic, Forsyth is able to take us through an encounter with Titian, a late sixteenth-century Venetian plague, and into the events of the late seventeenth century much more elegantly than Chevalier managed it with her mysteriously trapped-in-time family in The Glassmaker.

Like By Any Other Name and Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen’s Fool, I devoured this novel while registering the problems with it. I loved the combination of history and low fantasy; it seems like the way to sell these genres to me is to combine them. The atmosphere is irresistible. But, at nearly 600 pages, it’s very long and very indulgent, with Forsyth really packing in her research about French court politics, in particular. The writing moves between being satisfyingly simple to a bit under-baked. It’s also an aggressively heterosexual novel, packed full of sex scenes with hot men who mostly turn out to be cads, as well as some seemingly obligatory rape and abuse. There are two female characters who appear to be same-sex attracted and they are both depicted as perverted and predatory. Women, indeed, rarely find solace with each other in Bitter Greens, although there are a couple of interesting alliances formed near the end of the novel. Instead, they betray each other, poison each other, bewitch each other, compete with each other and ignore each other.

I did like the conclusions of both Charlotte-Rose’s and Selena’s stories, and the serious treatment of Charlotte-Rose’s Huguenot faith; indeed, her long and fascinating real life means there’s room for a sequel here, if Forsyth ever wanted to write it. Meanwhile, the handling of Selena took some of the bad taste from my mouth left by Disney’s Tangled (2010), which I absolutely loathed. The weakest thread ends up being the Rapunzel story itself, which I should’ve predicted; the rules of folk-tale are different from those of modern fiction, which is why straight retellings seldom work for me. But I enjoyed immersing myself in this book. 3.5 stars.

Most definitely a 5 star read adn one I couldn't put down. But then again I do love all books by this author. Three women, a retelling of Rapunzel and a story that is dark, intense and heart-breaking. It will captivate you and take you on a journey like none you have ever been on. I loved the way it drew me in and told me the story of these three women and how their lives are connected.

This author can really tell a tale and is a wonderful and impressive writer. The characters are wonderfully crafted as is the story itself. I will most certainly read this one again as I know I will get more from it the second time around!

Thank you NetGalley and Allison & Busby for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth is a mesmerising and darkly enchanting retelling of Rapunzel, expertly woven with historical fiction. This beautifully written book intertwines the lives of three women, bound together by fate, power, and storytelling.

Charlotte-Rose de la Force, once a favourite at the court of Louis XIV, finds herself exiled to a convent, where she clings to her love of stories to endure her new life. Selena Leonelli, the dazzling muse of the Venetian artist Titian, is desperate to hold onto her youth and beauty at any cost. And Margherita, sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens, is imprisoned in a tower with no way out—except through the strength of her spirit and resilience.

Forsyth masterfully plaits together the lives of these three women, creating a captivating and immersive tale of love, betrayal, and survival. The book explores the power of storytelling, the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, and the lengths people will go to in pursuit of power and freedom.

Bitter Greens is both heartbreaking and addictive, with dark themes that make it a gripping yet sometimes harrowing read. Fans of historical fiction and fairy tale retellings will find this an unforgettable and deeply rewarding experience.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

The king is displeased and therefore she is banished to a nunnery. Charlotte-Rose de la Force our storyteller, is a witty, intelligent woman who speaks her mind and is a teller of tales so she must leave court. These are her crimes. In 1697, she enters the inhospitable walls, against her will but with her dignity. Though undressing from her fine clothes into the coarse homespun of a postulant was almost too hard to bare. Her most treasured possessions, her paper and inks were taken, her hair shorn and the dignity she arrived with, taken. This was a cruel start indeed. The cruelty would continue.
Venice 1590, young Margherita meets a witch who, on her birthday gives her a pendant. Would you take such a gift from a stranger ? Would it be safe or is there a devastating price to pay or was that price already paid seven years ago by Margherita's parents, for a handful of Bitter Greens...is Rapunzel.
And Selena, who is she in this story. Why of course, she is our witch ! Her story perhaps the most facinating.

Dark retelling of the fairy tale, plaiting together the lives of the three women. It's a captivating, dark and deadly tale of mothers and daughters. It's upsetting and heartbreaking and at times hard to read, it's beautifully written and as I found, very addictive.

"Bitter Greens" by Kate Forsyth is an engrossing retelling of the Rapunzel story, skillfully connecting the lives of three remarkable women: Charlotte-Rose de la Force, Selena Leonelli, and Margherita.

The book starts with Charlotte-Rose, a French novelist cast out from the court of Versailles, who discovers comfort in the stories told by an elderly nun. These tales include Margherita's tragic fate, a young girl traded to a witch for some bitter greens and imprisoned in a tower, and Selena's story, the mesmerizing muse of Titian who has learned the secret of eternal youth at a great cost.

Each character experiences substantial growth throughout the story. Charlotte-Rose looks back on her past controversies and uncovers strength in storytelling. Margherita's resilience in isolation is inspiring, while Selena's complicated transformation from courtesan to witch exposes the less glamorous aspects of beauty and power. The characters are well-developed, and each storyline complements the others.

Themes of love, power, and survival resonate deeply with contemporary societal issues. The novel highlights the struggles women face in patriarchal societies, where beauty and youth are often used as currency.

The writing style is lush and evocative, with a narrative structure that seamlessly blends historical fiction and fantasy. The language is vivid, painting a rich atmosphere of 17th-century France and Renaissance Venice.

As a reader, I found myself deeply invested in the characters' journeys, feeling both sorrow and hope as they navigated their challenges. The book's ability to convey complex emotions and themes is remarkable. One area for improvement could be in providing more nuanced portrayals of some supporting characters, but overall, the novel is engaging and thought-provoking.

"Bitter Greens" is unique in its genre for its fusion of historical and magical elements. Forsyth's talent lies in making such a familiar tale feel exciting and new.

This book is exceptional not only for retelling a classic story but also for paying homage to Charlotte-Rose de la Force, one of the original storytellers of "Rapunzel." It encourages readers to reflect on their own power, beauty, and resilience experiences, making it a truly memorable read.

The utterly amazing and enchanting tale of Rapunzel, the all-to human witch, and the storyteller from the court of Louis XIV who made them famous.

This was such a great read. The 3 female main characters all had an interesting story to tell and a unique voice
The plot moves along nicely and easily moves between characters. It was easy to get caught up in each one of their stories and really feel for each person
I liked everything about this and would highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc