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

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.