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“Being the beautiful princess was supposed to be the fairy tale ending to my painful story. Now I know painful shadows are not so easily left behind…That part of me won’t allow me to believe in magical spells and fairy tale endings. If there is hope for our story, it has to come from something much stronger.” -Aristella An empowering re-telling of the classic Cinderella story. Princess Aristella is an orphan who was abused by her wicked stepmother. Marrying a charming and handsome prince didn't take away the pain from her past. On the contrary, life in the castle is full of even more shadows. Aristella has to fight these shadows before a judging audience of nobles ready to condemn her for every misplaced sigh or wayward ribbon. As she fights her way through the shadows of her painful memories, frequent panic attacks, and her worst fears, Aristella learns to see beauty in her struggle. She learns to claim the power in her story, even when everything around her seems to be falling apart. Along the way, Aristella gets guidance from her godmother, Lady Euphemia. Aristella’s godmother is such a confident survivor that she seems almost magical. She radiates hope everywhere she goes. When Aristella goes to her godmother for help, she learns about the shocking story behind Lady Euphemia’s constant courage and hope. The Story Behind the Story Many years ago, as an ESL teacher, I taught a unit on “Cinderella Stories from Around the World.” Though my students were from different countries and had vastly different life experiences, they all knew the Cinderella story. At the time, I couldn’t pinpoint why I hated the stories so much. When I tried to work through my feelings about the story, most people didn’t want to think about it. The consensus was: Don’t ruin our fairytales. But as I continued to work with migrant workers, at-risk youth, and survivors of abuse, I couldn’t let go of my nagging discomfort. One day, a young lady stood on my porch and shared her struggles with me.