Q & A with Molly Lazer, author of ‘Owl Eyes: A Fairy Tale’

Talented author Molly Lazer shares her thoughts on ‘Cinderella’ stories and the motivation behind her own fairy tale re-tellings.

J:  What inspired you to mingle elements of Cinderella with your own creative and original story line?

Molly:  I wanted to answer a few specific questions by writing Owl Eyes. First, if he were not dead, drunk, or otherwise incapacitated, why would Cinderella’s father allow her to be a servant in his own household? (In the Brothers Grimm’s version, “Aschenputtel,” Cinderella’s father is not only alive but actively works against her.) And, second, why would Cinderella want the Prince? Once I came up with the answers to those questions, the plot started to come together. There were other elements of the Cinderella story that I didn't quite buy--for instance, why would the shoe fit on ONLY her foot? I know that the answer stems from the Cinderella story that originated in China, where small feet were seen as attractive, but I wanted to come up with a way to make the selection-by-shoe process make sense to me. I also am not a fan of the fairy godmother (or alternatively, the gifts from Cinderella's dead mother in the tree), as I think that Cinderella's just getting everything she needs to go to the ball from others takes away her agency. So I wanted to make it so that she, and only she, gets herself there and makes her story play out. 

J:  What is your favorite fairy tale?

Molly:  Cinderella is a favorite of mine, despite all my issues with it. The Brothers Grimm version is my favorite, with all the dark elements like the stepsisters cutting off parts of their feet and the birds pecking their eyes out at the end. I also love the really messed-up tales like Bluebeard and The Juniper Tree. I tend to go for the darker tales, as I think they're a lot more interesting. 

J:  Do you have plans for any other fairy tale re-tellings, or other stories within the world you created for Nora?

Molly:  I do! I already published my version of the Bluebeard story (coincidentally also called "Bluebeard," there's a link to it on my website), which takes place in Colandaria and is about Sir Milton's grandparents, and my own version of The Juniper Tree (called "TheJuniper Tree: A Love Story"), which takes place at the same time as Owl Eyes, during the drought. I am working on a second novel, very loosely based on The Little Mermaid, which takes place in the Ken and the Vale about six months before the start of Owl Eyes. Lady Bess, who we meet only briefly in Owl Eyes, will be a main character in that one.

Can't wait to read more fairy tales set in Colandaria!  Make sure to check out ‘OwlEyes: A Fairy Tale’ and my Review