The HMT Lancastria sank in 1940 with at least four thousand fatalities. It was the greatest British maritime disaster in history, worse than the Titanic and Lusitania combined. However, it was largely kept secret and out of the presses because the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, ordered a media blackout, fearing the effect on morale of the British citizens if they knew about the tragedy. This distressed many survivors. A memorial to the ship was placed in Scotland in 2015.
The stories adapted in this book were Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and The Ugly Duckling. For the historical versions of each, I recommend the website www.surlalunefairytales.com.
The text of Ann Putnam’s apology follows. She read it in church in 1706.
“I desire to be humbled before God for that sad and humbling providence that befell my father’s family in the year about ’92; that I, then being in my childhood, should, by such a providence of God, be made an instrument for the accusing of several persons of a grievous crime, whereby their lives were taken away from them, whom now I have just grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons; and that it was a great delusion of Satan that deceived me in that sad time, whereby I justly fear I have been instrumental, with others, though ignorantly and unwittingly, to bring upon myself and this land the guilt of innocent blood; though what was said or done by me against any person I can truly and uprightly say, before God and man, I did it not out of any anger, malice, or ill-will to any person, for I had no such thing against one of them; but what I did was ignorantly, being deluded by Satan. And particularly, as I was a chief instrument of accusing of Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters, I desire to lie in the dust, and to be humbled for it, in that I was a cause, with others, of so sad a calamity to them and their families; for which cause I desire to lie in the dust, and earnestly beg forgiveness of God, and from all those unto whom I have given just cause of sorrow and offence, whose relations were taken away or accused.”
Acknowledgments
Thanks so much to my editor, Antonia Markiet. I often feel lucky to have you as an editor because you (along with my late agent, George Nicholson) connect me to a lovely bygone era in publishing when the reader and the beauty of the story reigned supreme. Also, to her assistant, Abbe Goldberg.
Thanks also to my agent, Erica Silverman.
My critique group, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Stephanie Hairston, Alexandra Jorge, Danielle Cohen Joseph, and Gaby Triana, are there, sometimes for advice, sometimes for cookies. Mostly cookies.
I always appreciate the Florida SCBWI and Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld for making it happen. Special thanks to Debbie Reed Fischer and Marjetta Geerling for being Patty and Maxene to my LaVerne—Andrews Sisters forever!
Thanks to my family, Gene, Katherine, and Meredith, for putting up with the, um, clutter while I’m writing.