A Curse Dark as Gold
“In this slow-simmering but rewarding retelling, first-novelist Bunce presents an innovative interpretation of Rumpelstiltskin.” -- Horn Book

Winner of the William C. Morris Award for a Young Adult Debut

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

A Smithsonian Notable Book

An Oprah's Book Club Kids' Reading List Teen Selection

The gold thread promises Charlotte Miller a chance to save her family's beloved woolen mill. It promises a future for her sister, jobs for her townsfolk, security against her grasping uncle -- maybe even true love. To get the thread, Charlotte must strike a bargain with its maker, the mysterious Jack Spinner. But the gleam of gold conjures a shadowy past -- secrets ensnaring generations of Millers. And Charlotte's mill, her family, her love -- what do those matter to a stranger who can spin straw into gold? This is an award-winning and wholly original retelling of “Rumplestiltskin.”

“Set in a rural valley in the late 1700s, this reworking of the ‘Rumplestiltskin' story includes ghosts, witchcraft, elements of Georgian society, and much earlier folk magic in the guise of a novel of manners.” -- School Library Journal

A Curse Dark as Gold beats the hell out of any fantasy novel I've read this year. Her heroine/narrator is immensely appealing; the atmosphere of a world on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution is completely believable; and the suspense of the story builds so craftily that I started taking notes on just how she does it.” -- Peter S. Beagle, World Fantasy Award-winning author

“An intelligent, original, and interesting new take on an old fairy tale, and a marvelous debut novel.” -- Teen Book Review
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EDITIONS
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    •  
    • May-2010
    • Scholastic
    • Paperback
    • ISBN: 0439895774
    • ISBN13: 9780439895774
    • First Edition
    • Mar-2008
    • Arthur A. Levine Books
    • Hardcover
    • ISBN: 0439895766
    • ISBN13: 9780439895767
    •  
    • May-2010
    • Turtleback Books
    • Hardcover
    • ISBN: 0606147527
    • ISBN13: 9780606147521
    • Library Binding
    •  
    • May-2010
    • Scholastic
    • Hardcover
    • ISBN: 1606866427
    • ISBN13: 9781606866429
    • Library Binding
    •  
    • Jun-2010
    • Scholastic
    • eBook
    • ISBN: 0545281563
    • ISBN13: 9780545281560
    •  
    • Nov-2010
    • Scholastic
    • Audio CD
    • ISBN: 0545249597
    • ISBN13: 9780545249591



View the Complete Elizabeth C. Bunce Book List