samantha’s favorite retellings

There is something so beautiful to me about retellings. The idea that a story can resonate with us so strongly that we feel the need to tell it over and over, changing it to fit in with our life experiences and worldview. Some modern stories are the result of thousand-year-old games of telephone. How is that not the coolest thing ever?

“Hadestown” is a folk opera retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice set against the backdrop of a 1930s-esque factory town. It has eight (well deserved) Tony Awards.

Anna-Marie McLemore is a master at writing young adult magical realism. They have written ten books but these two (inspired by “The Snow Queen” and “The Red Shoes,” respectively) are my favorites.

If you’ve ever read Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” and thought that Gerta and the Robbergirl were meant to be, do I have the book for you.

One of my first loves when it comes to musical theater. Inspired by “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” it follows Elphaba, the (not so) Wicked Witch of the West.

“The Wild Swans” and East Asian folklore are beautifully intertwined in this book about a princess forced into silent exile to save her brothers. Also, there are dragons.