Penelope: A Novel

by Marilyn Kaye, Reese Witherspoon (Introduction)

Overview

A modern-day fairytale—a major motion picture starring Christina Ricci, Catherine O'Hara, James McAvoy, and Reese Witherspoon.

Penelope Wilhern has everything a girl could want: A wealthy, socialite family, an enchanted bedroom and some of the coolest clothes around. There is only one problem: She was born into a cursed family and has the face of a pig.
Hidden away from the world, Penelope now finds herself subjected to a string of snobby, blue-blooded bachelors in a desperate attempt to find her a husband in order to break the curse. Though she yearns for something greater, what's a girl to do when faced with a determined mother and her matchmaking sidekick? Hoping to snap a photo of the mysterious girl, mischievous tabloid reporter Lemon hires down-on-his-luck Max to pose as a prospective suitor and infiltrate the family. But when Max finds himself truly drawn to Penelope, he can't bring himself to expose and disappoint her, so he just disappears. Fed up with this latest betrayal and determined to live life on her own terms, Penelope decides to break free from her family and go out into the world in search of adventure. Hiding her true identity with a scarf, Penelope discovers a wondrous world where freedom opens her eyes to possibilities she never knew existed. Making new friends along the way, she discovers happiness in the most unexpected places.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312375591
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/20/2007
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.55(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Marilyn Kaye lives in Paris, France. She taught children's and teen literature at St. John's University in New York and has written over 100 books for young readers.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

I loved reading fairy tales as a child—or better yet, having them read to me—and now my daughter loves them too! The adventures of those beleaguered princesses, so often the youngest, most beautiful, and least appreciated, were magical. Fairy tales tell us who we are and how to live. That's why they are so powerful. It's not often that a brand-new tale appears in the world. So imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered . . . Penelope!

Sprung from the brilliantly original brain of Leslie Caveny, Penelope appeared on my desk one fine spring day. I loved the story from the moment I read it, and Penelope came to life in my imagination long before she stepped on-screen.

There are so many things I love about Penelope: a terrific plot, great characters, a beautiful world. But most of all, I love the message. Penelope is the inspiring story of a girl who is told by the people closest to her that she isn't good enough. Born with the face of a pig due to an ancient curse that had nothing to do with her, Penelope is kept hidden away in her parents' house and is taught to wait—to wait until her prince comes along and rescues her, to wait until she is pretty enough to go out into the world, to wait for her life to begin.

Eventually, Penelope gets tired of waiting and takes things into her own hands. Breaking free from her family, she heads out into the world to experience life on her own terms, finding friendship, adventure, and fun along the way. Penelope ultimately learns that she is pretty great the way she is, and it is that confidence and self-acceptance that prove to be life changing.

I've been all over the world and met so many people, and I've come to discover that each and every one of us has insecurities. Young or old, short or tall, we all have something we wish we could change about ourselves. Sometimes we let those insecurities define who we are and get in the way of all the great things we could accomplish. Penelope teaches us to rise above our fears, to embrace the things that make us unique, and to celebrate our individuality. She faces the world with fearlessness and wonder.

I hope this story inspires you to try to be a little more like Penelope, and to learn to love what is truly unique about yourself.

Enjoy the book!

—Reese Witherspoon

Copyright © 2007 by Penelope Productions, LLC. Introduction copyright © 2007 by Reese Witherspoon. All rights reserved.