Princess and the Peas

Book excerpt: A reimagining of the classic "The Princess and the Pea" set in an African American community in the South in the 1950s. Now in paperback! In this adaptation of "The Princess and the Pea," there are no mattresses. Ma Sally cooks the best black-eyed peas in Charleston County, South Carolina. Her son, John, is a highly eligible bachelor, and three local women vie for his hand in marriage by attempting to cook as well as Ma. At the last minute, a surprise contestant named Princess arrives at the door. Princess and John are well-matched, but Princess has her own ideas. When told she has won John’s hand, she asks him to scrub the pots and pans before she'll give him an answer. Dedicated to "Black families everywhere," this heartwarming story, with its fairy-tale tone, will have broad appeal. —Kirkus Reviews