A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

From the Publisher

Upon the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Charlotte struggles to keep the family's woolen mill running in the face of an overwhelming mortgage and what the local villagers believe is a curse, but when a man capable of spinning straw into gold appears on the scene she must decide if his help is worth the price.

Children's Literature

AGERANGE: Ages 12 up.

After her father's death, Charlotte Miller, the eldest of two surviving daughters, becomes the owner and operator of Stirwaters, the family mill. Charlotte is determined not to let down her family or the entire village, which depends on the mill for its survival. As she diligently prepares for the upcoming mill season, a man from Pinchfields, a nearby industrialized mill, surprises Charlotte with an offer to buy Stirwaters and its prestigious label. The sale would leave the villagers without work and the family business in the hands of strangers. Charlotte adamantly refuses Pinchfields' offer and begins fixing up the aging mill in hopes of a productive season. During the repair process, a sign falls onto one of her workers, causing serious harm. Not only does her worker get injured but the repairs mysteriously undo right back the way they were. After these events, rumors of an age-old Stirwaters Curse buzz around Charlotte's ears. Even after Charlotte discovers that her father mortgaged the mill and that the mill's stall at the annual market has been revoked, Charlotte refuses to believe in any curses. When more mysterious problems arise, Charlotte makes a deal with a strange magical man to save the mill, bringing the family curse she so vehemently wants to disbelieve into the very center of her life. Set in a quaint eighteenth-century village, this fresh retelling of Rumpelstiltskin is beautifully told, with a vivid historical setting, endearing characters, and a suspenseful and unpredictable plot. Bunce spins an innovative and believable story that captures the heart and magic of the original fairytale. The well-crafted writing grabs readers from the firstparagraph and keeps them hanging for the ride. Reviewer: Melissa Joy Adams

VOYA

The story of Charlotte Miller is an old one-orphaned daughter beset by overwhelming debt left by loving but idiosyncratic father. To reconcile the mortgage on her family's wool mill, the nearly grown girl confronts a peculiar man, a curse, and the mystery of what brought it upon her. Bunce includes a cloying uncle, a prince-like banker, a headstrong sister, and a community of colorful citizens in her remaking of the Rumpelstiltskin tale. Although both the dialogue and characters feel a bit stock at times, they are solidly drawn. The setting plays a significant role, and the mill itself takes on a forceful personality. The plot's pacing is expertly handled and both the mystery and romance lure the reader through its many pages. Bunce enlivens her tale with rich detail of the eighteenth-century weaving trade, and the novel reads closer to finely tuned historical fiction than fantasy. The fantastic elements work where they might feel out of place if they were not so carefully integrated. Charlotte and her sister Rosie have distinctive personalities that are not over drawn. Bunce's rendering of Charlotte is particularly good, and the girl's coming-of-age is handled lovingly. A few too many threads are left dangling near the end. Still this first novel shows off well and will leave readers eager for an even stronger second. Reviewer: Lauri J. Vaughan

VOYA

The fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin has nothing on this novel about the overly burdened heroine Charlotte Miller, her sister Rosellen, and their mysterious benefactor Jack Spinner. Despite the slow start, the book quickly compensates with the building crises faced by the protagonist and her village of Stirwaters. Bunce spins a captivating read that not only stuns with an unpredictable and unforeseen ending but also leaves the reader craving more of her work. Reviewer: Denzil Sikka, Teen Reviewer

KLIATT

AGERANGE: Ages 12 to 18.

In this retelling of “Rumplestilskin,” readers are taken into the life of a young maiden and her reasons for accepting help from a strange man who has the ability to spin gold. Charlotte Miller is the oldest of two daughters and she is now in charge of the Stirwater Mill. As a woman she faces a tough uphill battle to produce textiles and get them sold in the market. This is made all the more difficult by the realization that it is her family business that keeps most of the families employed. So with both family pride and civic loyalty, Charlotte and her sister Rosie use the unbelievable gold thread to keep the mill going after their father’s death and do not ask too many questions about how it came to be. In fact, they use mystery man Jack Spinner’s help twice to solve unsolvable financial problems. In the midst of their difficulties, their uncle arrives to “chaperone” the young women, but despite his fancy clothes and city connections there is something about him that Charlotte does not trust. It is not until Charlotte has married a local banker and has a child that she realizes her uncle’s motives, and the cost of Spinner’s help. At that point she must solve the mystery of Spinner’s identity and his tie to her family’s mill in order to save her son. This is a rich, compelling story that fleshes out the fairy tale, setting it in the nonspecific past of the Industrial Revolution. Readers unfamiliar with “Rumplestilskin” will not be at a disadvantage here; they will be drawn into the mystery of the mill, its supposed curse and the little man who offers unconventional assistance. Reviewer: Janis Flint-Ferguson
March 2008 (Vol. 42, No.2)

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up- Too stubborn to let go of the troubled mill that has supported her community for generations, Charlotte Miller takes over after her father's death, fighting impending disaster with bargains with a mysterious Jack Spinner that eventually threaten her infant son. Set in a rural valley in the late 1700s, this reworking of the "Rumplestiltskin" story includes ghosts, witchcraft, elements of Georgian society, and much earlier folk magic in the guise of a novel of manners. The leisurely paced narrative gathers steam as it becomes clear that the family and the mill have not simply had a long run of bad luck, but are seriously cursed. Readers need not be familiar with the folktale to see where Charlotte's efforts to save her mill are headed. Though their roles in the narrative are clear, secondary characters are distinctive: foppish Uncle Wheeler is more than a stereotyped villain, and Charlotte's eventual husband is an admirable romantic lead with unsuspected talents. A rich opening to Jane Austen's world for teens.-Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD

Kirkus Reviews

In a hefty, thoughtful Rumpelstiltskin tale, Charlotte Miller fights and strains and sacrifices to embody her surname. The Miller family runs Stirwaters, a river-powered textile mill in a pre-industrial village. It's been passed down haphazardly because no Miller son ever lives to inherit it. Charlotte and sister Rosie take over upon their father's death, but troubles persist. Non-superstitious Charlotte resists the idea of a family curse; she insists the ongoing destruction is simply bad luck and vandalism. A perfumed, dandy uncle arrives to wrest power away from the sisters. Bunce writes the mill as a character too, bound into the family "by loss and grief and vengeance." As stubborn Charlotte fiercely defends Stirwaters against physical and financial ruin, misguided habits of secrecy and fear lead to a near-loss of her infant son to the Rumpelstiltskin figure, a classic tortured ghost from ages past. His origins unravel the tangled mystery. Slow pacing and a protagonist with infuriating secretiveness may deter some readers, but those who stick it out will find substance and beauty. (author's note) (Fantasy. YA)

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