A Curse Dark as Gold [Hardcover]

Since her father's death, the fate of the Miller family woolen mill and that of the Shearing village rests on Charlotte's shoulders. An unexpected and seemingly insurmountable debt leads to a difficult choice for the normally practical and levelheaded miller's daughter.

Must she take the offer of the strange little man who can weave straw into gold, or can she make her own way through the maze of ill luck and deceit that seems her family legacy?

Elizabeth C. Bunce's A CURSE DARK AS GOLD is worth its own weight in gold and then some. A folkloric re-telling beyond Rumpelstiltskin proportions, this tale weaves the best storytelling techniques into a fine tapestry of intrigue, drama, and romance.

The tight writing never wavers. Gorgeous, consistent language abounds, like, "I sank to my knees in a sea of crumpled flannel and pressed my hands into the sharp shale of the yard, as if bites from the stones could remind me of who I was."

And just who is Charlotte Miller? Certainly one of the most fascinating characters I've come across of late. If not self-confident at the beginning of our story, she is at least confident in what she knows: the mill cannot go under and the families of Shearing cannot be allowed to starve or scatter to the winds. As she is the only one around to prevent these happenings, Charlotte will do what she must to prevent them. And so she does.

As time goes on, and with Pinchfields Mill of Harrowgate nipping at her heels, Charlotte's choices become ever more difficult and the stakes are raised as she struggles through crisis after crisis. Charlotte's resolve to dismiss the very idea of the Miller Curse crumbles into a pile of wasted wishes as the harsh reality of the unreal comes to be. She is forced to play the hand that's dealt, facing sinister forces she once easily dismissed.

A strong protagonist indeed.

Every word counts in this amazing book. The language, while assuredly stunning and appealing, is never frivolous. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel, and I eagerly await whatever Ms. Bunce wishes to put in front of me next, as it's sure to be delightful and satisfying if it's near the quality of A CURSE DARK AS GOLD.

It's only fitting that this novel be recommended for the Gold Star Award for Excellence and admittance to the TeensReadToo Hall of Fame.

Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince

I read a lot of YA fiction and upon seeing reviews for A CURSE DARK AS GOLD, thought that I would love it. However, I have just come to the end, having taken nearly a week to finish it, and I have to say that I am more than a little disappointed.

The story is a retelling of the fairy tale Rumplestiltskin. The main character, Charlotte Miller is a young girl whose fatehr has died, leaving her responsible for the wool mill which has been in her family for generations.
Yet Sirwaters Mill is not your average mill - although it is falling into disrepair, any attempts to fix walls or looms usually meet with unsatisfying results. Its almost as though the mill does not want to be fixed.
As Charlotte struggles to keep the mill going and finances coming in, more and more obstacles are put up in front of her, threatening not only her wellbeing but also that of her other family members and those who work for her.
When things seem to really descend into helplessness, Charlotte is visited by Jack Spinner, a man who can spin gold thread from shabby cloth. All he wants as payment for this service is Charlotte's late mother's ring - something that has little monetary value. Charlotte agrees so as to help others, not just herself, and this is where her fate is changed forever.

That is a basic plot. And, in essence, A CURSE AS DARK AS GOLD works well. The idea of value and people diving to depths that you would not usually contemplate in order to save themselves is a good one. If there was someone able to get you out of all the troubles that life throws at you, how much would you be willing to give up? But despite this promising idea, A CURSE DARK AS GOLD failed to keep me enthralled. Jack Spinner takes a while to make an appearance in the story and by the time that the climax is approaching I had lost nearly all interest in what the conclusion would be.
Don't get me wrong - although I would not say that this book is particularly bad, I just think that there are better offerings our there. If you are interested in retellings of Rumplestiltskin, Elizabeth Cunningham's HOW TO SPIN GOLD: A WOMAN'S TALE is far superior to Bunce's offering.