East

I enjoyed this book, I think it's a retelling of a Norwegian folk tale and I was familiar with some aspects of the story, but it could also be taken as a micture of two or three of our fairy tales here one of them including Beuty and the Beast. Rose's mother wants to have a kid for every direction on the compass excluding East because East borne children are supposed to be travlers and somewhat untameable but despite her mother's meticulous planning Rose is borne facing East. There was also a young prince long ago who is captured by a trollish Princess who wants to make him her Husband but the Trolls Father the King is mad at her for kidnapping the boy and turns the boy into a polar bear asaying if he can find love of his own species that willingly lives with him for a yearish without glancing upon his true face at night (he turns into a man at night) he will be free of the spell and the Trolls. Rose's family is hit by bad luck and her sister get's sick the Polarbear comes and says that if they give Rose to him he will bring them good luck. Rose leaves with him willingly and travels to the Polarbears castle very far away. She lives with him for awhile and learns enjoy his companionship but is mystified by the strange man that joins her in bed every night, whenever he comes in none of the candles work so she never gets to see his face. Rose is allowed to visit home once before returning to the castle on her return her mother gives her a special candle that will work even when all the other candles dont. Upon her return she uses the candle one night and see's the Polarbear man's real face. The Ploarbear man who is now always a man is immediately collected by the Troll Queen (her dad died) because he lost his bet, to live with her in her knigdom forever. Rose is kicked out of the castle but since she feels terribly guilty she starts on a quest through the arctice to find her prince. She is saved by a nice widow and her daughter. Once she recovers they help her gain passage to a ship and its drunk captain. As they are heading to the troll Queens palace deep in the arctic somewhere they get caught in a storm and the crew is anihlated. She and the drunk captain make it to the arctic and meet tghe arctic people who agree to guide her as far as possible in her desired direction. After her guide leaves her she manages to get to the castle and work as a slave there. She challenges the queen to a competition winner gets her prince. Rose wins and she and her prince leave and free the slaves. They make it back home where they live happily ever after. Over all a good book I reccomend it.