I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

The write up for this is what attracted me and it didn't disappoint

I have not read the author before but really enjoyed this and would highly recommend

Kate Forsyth’s Bitter Greens is a gorgeously layered novel that blends historical fiction with fairy-tale retelling in an ambitious, immersive narrative. Rooted in the classic story of “Rapunzel,” the novel interweaves the lives of three women across centuries: Charlotte-Rose de la Force, a real-life 17th-century French noblewoman exiled from the court of Louis XIV; Margherita, a young girl stolen from her family and locked away in a tower; and Selena Leonelli, a once-glamorous Venetian courtesan turned witch, desperate to preserve her beauty at any cost. These narratives are braided together with skill and elegance, mirroring the themes of storytelling, power, and female resilience that echo through each woman’s life.

Forsyth’s prose is lush and evocative, painting vivid portraits of both the decadence of Versailles and the grit of Renaissance Venice. Her attention to historical detail enriches the reading experience, grounding the more fantastical elements in richly imagined settings. The novel has been widely praised for its feminist lens, offering complex portrayals of women navigating—and resisting—the limitations imposed upon them by society. Charlotte-Rose’s wit and rebellious spirit, in particular, add a spark to the historical sections, while Margherita’s innocence and gradual awakening lend emotional weight to the fairy tale arc. Even the traditionally villainous witch is given surprising depth and backstory, transforming her into a figure shaped by her own wounds and ambitions.

While Bitter Greens is often celebrated for its lyrical language and structural ambition, some readers may find the pacing uneven, particularly in the early chapters. The transitions between timelines, though ultimately rewarding, can feel jarring at first. The novel also delves into dark thematic territory—such as isolation, betrayal, and sexual violence—which may be intense for sensitive readers. However, these elements are handled with thoughtfulness and help underscore the emotional stakes of the story.

For fans of historical fiction, fairy-tale retellings, or novels with strong, intricately drawn female leads, Bitter Greens offers a haunting, memorable reading experience. It’s a story about stories—how they’re told, who tells them, and the power they have to heal or imprison us. Bold, beautiful, and brimming with imagination, Forsyth’s novel is both a tribute to the enduring power of myth and a reclamation of women’s voices across time.

If you are curious about Rapunzel’s story, this is the book for you. Author has done a deep research and the book has historic elements. The pace was even. Author’s Writing is compelling. I liked reading Rapunzel from a different perspective. The author has done a brilliant job by combining history, fairytale and mystery. Thanks to the Publisher

This re-telling of Rapunzel is based from the original historical writings of Charlotte-Rose de la Force.
This book is loosely based on Charlotte -Rose’s original story. She was one of the earliest historical storytellers.
The book interweaves some facts, with mostly fiction.

The stories move between historical time dates, three different women, three stories, and three lives. Two countries, France and Italy.
Charlotte-Rose, living in France, her story, her life, her feelings and yearnings.
Selena Leonelli, living in Italy. Her upbringing and changes she had to make, from her set of cards of life.
Margherita, living in Italy.- Rapunzel. Her lack of choices, her yearning for change, her wanting to live her own life.

The book has three powerful characters. It is emotional, full of feelings, some very sensitive issues covered too.
Very interesting regarding the historical period aspects.
It is a big book to read, but I read it as it needed to be. Slow and well appreciated.

If you love fairy tales with a dark twist, rich historical settings, and strong women at the center, Bitter Greens is one to pick up. Kate Forsyth takes the Rapunzel story and gives it real depth, blending it with the fascinating (and true!) life of Charlotte-Rose de la Force, a French writer who wrote one of the earliest versions of the tale.

The book weaves together three main stories: Charlotte-Rose, who’s been exiled to a convent in 17th-century France; Margherita, a girl locked in a tower in Renaissance Venice; and Selena Leonelli, the witch who put her there. Each woman’s story is compelling on its own, but Forsyth connects them beautifully, showing how storytelling, trauma, and resilience pass through generations.

One of the best things about Bitter Greens is how it flips the traditional fairy tale on its head. The women aren’t just damsels or villains—they’re layered, flawed, and powerful in their own ways. Even the witch, who could have easily been a one-note villain, has a heartbreaking backstory that adds complexity to her role.

Forsyth’s writing is vivid and immersive. You can practically feel the damp walls of the tower, smell the canals of Venice, and hear the whispers in the French court. She clearly did her research, but it never feels like a history lesson—more like stepping into another world.

I was sent a copy of Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth to read and review by NetGalley. I requested this title as I am a lover of historical fiction and I used to enjoy fairy tales like Rapunzel when I was growing up and was intrigued to see what the author had done with the story. I have to admit straight off that I did not finish this book. I got approximately a quarter/third of the way through and I found I just didn’t want to read any more. I don’t think that the two ‘timelines’ worked in this novel at all. There was too much of one aspect of the story at the time, which for me made the whole thing rather tedious. While I would have liked to have finished reading the story of Rapunzel (which I may do if I find a physical copy and just skip to those particular chapters) but I found I had no interest in what happened to Charlotte-Rose de la Force whatsoever. I really don’t like giving up on a book but life is too short to carry on reading something you are not enjoying.

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An impressive, evocative tale of 3 women battling for respect in and out of the French court. The writing is crisp and imaginative and the story weaves with imagination and verve.

This a really original retelling of Rapunzel - it is set in renaissance Italy and is part historical fiction that intertwines the fairy tale with the true life of Charlotte-Rose de la Force, one of the tale's earliest tellers. The novel explores themes of love, desire, and the power of stories. In the fairytale, Rapunzel's mother, craving the rampion plant, which is also known as rapunzel, leads to the husband's theft from a powerful witch's garden. It's the act of stealing these greens that results in Margherita (Rapunzel), being imprisoned in a tower by the witch Selena Leonelli, once the muse of the famous Venetian artist Titian. There are three stories here of three women all struggling to be free of their captors: for Selena it is age and time, for Margherita it is the freedom to choose her own life and for Charlotte-Rose it is to be accepted by society for herself. I really enjoyed reading this - you feel for each character as they yearn and struggle to reach for what they want and anyone who enjoys retellings of fairy tales will soak up this story.

This is a fairy tale retelling done beautifully. It has everything within its pages - death, revenge, love, magic, history, murder, multiple time periods - the list could go on and on. I remember reading Rapunzel when I was little; this book is that story, and so much more.

I loved immersing myself in the lives of Charlotte Rose, Selena, and Margherita. These three women are complex, interesting characters, and I was along for the ride with each of their storylines. We travel through Vienna, Paris, France and Italy in these tales and it was fantastic to read about their lives during some of the most turbulent times in the history of these countries.

This book is about three women who are living in massively difficult situations and times when women were treated with disrespect and cruelty, and they are forced to survive in the best ways they can.

If you love fairy tales and historical fiction, this book is for you. This is going to be one of my favourite reads of 2025.

I received a digital review copy of *Bitter Greens* from NetGalley, and I was immediately drawn to its enchanting premise. Originally published in 2012 and recently re-released, I couldn’t resist diving into this captivating retelling of the classic Rapunzel tale.

The novel intricately weaves the lives of three compelling characters. The first is Charlotte-Rose de la Force, who finds herself banished from the opulent court of King Louis XIV of France. After enduring scandalous love affairs, she is condemned to live in a convent, where her world is forever altered. Within the convent’s austere walls, Sœur Seraphina shares the haunting story of a girl ensnared in a tower. This girl, cursed after her parents steal a handful of bitter greens, becomes a poignant symbol of longing and entrapment, inspiring Charlotte-Rose to pen what we now recognize as the tale of Rapunzel.

Next, we meet Margherita, a striking beauty with long, flowing red-gold hair. Her life is a tragic one, as she is held captive in a high tower, entirely at the mercy of La Strega Bella. With the endless hope of rescue flickering in her heart, Margherita's days are filled with dreams of freedom that feel increasingly out of reach.

Lastly, there's Selena Leonelli, a captivating figure who was once the muse of a celebrated artist. She navigates the tumultuous waters of love and betrayal in the breathtaking city of Venice, where beauty and treachery intertwine at every corner.

I was particularly enchanted by the inclusion of Madame de la Force, as her contributions to fairy tales, such as *Persinette*, which later evolved into *Rapunzel*, add rich historical depth to the narrative. *Bitter Greens* is a poignant exploration of heartbreak, love, betrayal, and the indomitable spirit of survival. I wholeheartedly recommend this beautifully crafted tale!

I really enjoyed reading this book.
It tells the story of 3 women whose paths cross. Charlotte Rose a noble woman at Versailles, Margaretha a girl promised to the witch Seraphina l
Leonelli and the nun.
The story switches from past to present which occasionally confused me, but it explained why the women acted as they did.
I loved the retelling of Rapunzel.
If you enjoy historical fiction, this book takes you right there, the grand court of Versailles and the intrigue of Venice.

Bitter Greens
by Kate Forsyth
Pub Date: Mar 20 2025

Three women bound together by the strands of fate

Charlotte-Rose de la Force, exiled from the court of the Sun King Louis XIV, has always been a great teller of tales.

Selena Leonelli, once the exquisite muse of the great Venetian artist Titian, is terrified of time.

Margherita, sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens, is trapped in a doorless tower and burdened by tangles of her red-gold hair. She must find a way to escape.

Bitter Greens is a dark, beautifully written retelling of the Rapunzel tale, interwoven with the story of one of the tale’s first tellers.

Charlotte-Rose is a French novelist sent to the convent after being banished from the court of Louis XIV following a series of scandalous love affairs. Whilst there she's comforted by Souer Seraphina who tells her the tale of a young girl locked in a tower a 100 years earlier.

Bitter Greens is told from three POVs; Charlotte-Rose (1600s French novelist), Margherita (our Rapunzel locked in the tower) and Selena Leonelli (the witch). All three main characters are given their chance to shine and tell their story, although the story does spend the most time with Charlotte-Rose, following her life through the Sun King's court, all of her escapades and eventually into the convent after her banishment. We also get to explore the witch Selena's backstory and the reasons behind her actions, as well as Margherita's childhood and time spent locked in the infamous tower.

The pacing was a little slow at times, but the writing was compelling and engaging and instead of the story dragging, it instead felt like I was given the time and space to trully understand and connect with each character. This was essentially a retelling of the Rapunzel story, but is was so, so much more than that. It was part historical fiction, part fairy tale, part fictional biography, and the author did a wonderful job of braiding them together into a really fantastic story. It felt a little like an ode to Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de la Force and her stories, but it also felt like an original and fresh retelling of a well known tale. I adored it and I really can't wait to read more from Kate Forsyth.

Side note: please check the trigger warnings for this book. This isn't a lighter fairy tale retelling and there are heavy themes of sexual violence, illness (plague) and captivity throughout.

I absolutely loved this book, loved everything about it - the fairy tale, the history, the stories of three different women, each bold and brave and imprisoned.The writing was insightful, poignant and spellbinding, often all at once. Having read it digitally I cannot wait to run out and buy a paperback to keep on my forever-a-favourite shelf and revisit when I need a beautifully written escape.

I really enjoyed this book and it was a bit like a box of chocolates - some dark moments , some light and then....what's that inside? Lots of delicious surprises. Guess when you have a novel that retells the story of Rapunzel in more ways than one, then you are going to have some fairy like aspects and dark moments to it. This is woven very cleverly and I loved it. that cover is stunning!

The story of Rapunzel from a new perspective, taking the classic tale and adjusting in them new elements of the story, makes what we know take another sense.

In this historical fiction we follow three points of view, where we are told over the years how it developed in some ways what we know of Rapunzel with one of our narrators locked in the tower, how the witch got to that point and the last one of an author who fights for her voice to be heard.

The joining of three voices in this story, each one in a different time and personality, has made it complex to follow and slow at times, although I enjoyed it I feel that I had more expectations than I thought at the beginning and that has made it a little triggering that not being able to hook me has been so disappointing, but this is from my point of view.

I give it points for the research and how it made everything connect in a congruent way, and that fairy tale touch that the narrative has even though it is historical fiction.

It was a good read, for those who are readers of historical fiction and are fans of Rapunzel, this may be the book for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

Charlotte has spent most of her adult life at the court of Louis XIV but, after falling out of favour, she has been exiled to an austere convent. There she learns to love different things. One story she weaves is that of Margarita, a girl from Venice who has been placed in a high tower by a witch. The witch herself also has her own tale to tell.
This is a retelling of the story of Rapunzel which brings together the original elements of the tale with the life of the first recounter. It's certainly magical at times but a little overlong.

Kate Forsyth’s Bitter Greens is a beautifully layered, historically rich reimagining of Rapunzel, blending history, fairy tale, and dark magic. The novel follows three women—Charlotte-Rose de la Force, the real-life writer of the tale; Margherita, the young girl locked in the tower; and Selena Leonelli, the sorceress with her own tragic past.

The strongest aspect of Bitter Greens is its gorgeous prose and immersive historical detail. Forsyth’s depiction of 17th-century France and Renaissance Italy is vivid and thoroughly researched, making it easy to get lost in the world she builds. The novel explores themes of female agency, survival, and power, giving depth to the fairy tale origins. Margherita’s storyline—effectively the Rapunzel retelling—was my favorite, beautifully blending fairy tale elements with historical realism.

However, the novel isn’t without its challenges. The pacing is uneven, with some parts dragging, especially in Charlotte-Rose’s sections. While all three narratives are compelling, they don’t always flow seamlessly, making the book feel longer than necessary. And fair warning—this book is dark. There are heavy themes of abuse, captivity, and sexual violence that may be unsettling for some readers. If you’re expecting a lighter fairy tale retelling, this isn’t it.

Overall, Bitter Greens is an impressive and unique take on Rapunzel, but it may not be for everyone. Fans of historical fiction with a touch of fantasy will likely enjoy it, while those looking for a more fast-paced or hopeful retelling might struggle. If you love richly detailed settings and deeply woven stories about women reclaiming their power, this is worth the read—just be prepared for a long, sometimes dark, journey.

For centuries, fairy tales have entertained and taught lessons to those young and young at heart. One of the most memorable stories was the tale of Rapunzel, the maiden a witch kidnapped because her parents stole a Rapunzel plant from her while Rapunzel’s mother was pregnant. For years, Rapunzel languished in a Tower, her hair growing exponentially until a rogue/ prince climbs her hair and rescues the damsel in distress. The witch dies and Rapunzel and her hero live happily ever after. At least, that is how the story has been passed down to us throughout the centuries, but where did the story come from and how are the stories of three women from different generations and countries connected? Kate Forsyth weaves together the stories of three women and their fates into one delightful novel called, “Bitter Greens.”

I want to thank Allison & Busby and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. When I am not reading historical fiction or nonfiction, I do enjoy reading fairy tales retold, so when I heard about this novel and how it would explore the origins of the story of Rapunzel, it was intriguing to me.

Forsyth breaks down her novel into three separate narratives based on the lives of three women. We begin with Charlotte-Rose de la Force, a woman who weaves stories on a whim at the court of the Sun King Louis XIV. Charlotte is the person who gave the Rapunzel story some of the main characteristics that we are familiar with from the Italian origin story by Giambattista Basile. Her life choices have caused the king to send Charlotte to exile in a convent. It is in the convent that Charlotte meets Soeur Seraphina and she learns the story of Margherita and Selena Leonelli.

Margherita is the daughter of a mask maker and his wife. When she turns 7, a sorceress named La Strega Bella tells her parents that it is time to pay for their crime of stealing bitter greens. La Strega Bella wants to raise Margherita as her child, so she kidnaps Margherita, changes her name to Petrosinella, and places her in a convent. When Margherita turns 12, she is taken from the convent, placed in a tower, and given her characteristically long hair.

The question is why did La Strega Bella take Margherita from her parents just to put her in a tower with such long hair? It is through Selena Leonelli’s story that we can discover the truth about La Strega Bella. A woman who had to survive in the dark days of the plague in the early 16th century when her family died, she learned how to use spells and the power of plants from a woman named Sibillia. Life was not always fair for Selena, but then she met a man named Tiziano, who we know as Titian, and she inspired his art. Selena is afraid of growing old and wants to stay young forever, so she comes up with a dark and twisted plan.

This novel is dark and full of tragedies, love, and adventures. While I did enjoy reading it, there were a few historical inaccuracies, such as the plague doctor uniform was not introduced until the 17th century, not the 16th century. If you want a dark version of a fairy tale retold with a historical twist, I think you will enjoy “Bitter Greens” by Kate Forsyth.