LADY TREMAINE

Rachel Hochhauser grew up in Santa Barbara, California. She attended New York University and earned a master’s in professional writing from the University of Southern California. Currently, she lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two daughters. Lady Tremaine is her first novel.

“Splendid…a stirring exploration of maternal instinct and female strength. It’s a winner.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Readers will no doubt find themselves rooting for Ethel as she recounts the life she once had, the love she’s lost, and her unwavering devotion to her daughters. A bold and beautifully written examination of a mother’s love told through the eyes of Cinderella’s “wicked” stepmother.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This Cinderella reframing paints the stepmother in an entirely new light, building a rich backstory with the man she loved, the girl she almost lost him to, and the daughters she would do anything for. Hochhauser’s debut features a fiercely determined heroine, themes of resilience and motherhood, and vivid descriptions that keep the grim in the fairy tale.“ —Booklist

“Feminist, fierce, and wildly fresh: Lady Tremaine is my kind of fairy tale. As we resurrect and re-examine the historical women we’ve maligned, Hochhauser insists we include the wicked stepmothers. Hochhauser’s prose is poetic, her story hypnotic, and her characters will live in my head and heart forever. Lady Tremaine is destined to be one of the biggest books of the year.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 bestselling author of Untamed

“In breathtakingly beautiful prose, Hochhauser unpicks this old fairytale and weaves it into a feminist war cry. Visceral, powerful and stunningly told, Lady Tremaine soars.” —Emilia Hart, New York Times bestselling author of Weyward

Reading Group Choices

Exclusive Lady Tremaine Reading Group Guide

1. Throughout the book, there are references to women’s roles in society and what is proper vs. what isn’t. How do the various characters defy those expectations, both purposefully and inadvertently?
2. There are very few male characters throughout the book, and, with the exception of Otto, most of those that do appear lack much depth. What do you think the author’s intent was with these portrayals?
3. Grief and loss are recurring themes throughout the book, and almost all of the characters are affected by their own experiences with these themes. How do those experiences shape the narrative and the events of the story?
4. When we first meet Elin, Etheldreda is unkind to her, and we see a glimpse of the “wicked stepmother” we assume she must be. But as we learn more about their backstory, we see that their dynamic isn’t so simplistic. How do your feelings about Ethel, Elin, and their relationship change over the course of the book?
5. When Elin arrives at the ball, Ethel doesn’t understand how Moussa’s carriage has suddenly become opulent, or where they got white steeds to pull it. It isn’t until the next day that she discovers how he created the façade. Given that Ethel’s whole life has been devoted to similar artifice for years, what are your thoughts on her being taken in by similar efforts (even if only temporarily)?
6. At the beginning of the book Ethel says of Lucy, “while Lucy was indeed designed to kill, her violence was only a steppingstone to her survival. If someone were to think she might have helped me when I was in danger, I would have to correct them: Lucy would eat my eyeballs if she needed to.” And yet Lucy does, in fact, end up saving Ethel’s life, sacrificing her own in the process. How does this mirror the mistakes Ethel makes in regards to her impressions about other people and her relationships with them throughout the book?
7. Consider the working-class characters throughout the book: Agatha, Alice, Wenthelen, Moussa, Morwen. What do Ethel’s relationships with them reveal about her intrinsic character? How do their interactions with Ethel shape her decisions?
8. During one of their conversations, Sigrid says to Ethel “Perhaps I am a monster, then. Perhaps so are you. Perhaps we are monsters raising more monsters. It doesn’t change the outcome. A monster, after all, needs a mother too. This is what we do for our children, Ethel. What we do for ourselves. If you think you and I are any different, I suggest you take a long, hard gander in the looking glass.” Do you agree that Sigrid and Ethel are the same at their core?
9. Do you think Ethel’s decision to go after Elin shows a true change of heart, or is it more about appearances and wanting her own daughters to think the best of her?
10. After Ethel and Otto rescue Elin, Ethel comes to a realization: “It occurred to me that all my empathy, my pain, had been for them, but also for myself… The you, you, you, my darling, yous were just another way of saying me, me, me, I, I, I.” How does this affect the way you view Ethel’s motives and actions up to this point in the book? How does she change afterwards?
11. On their way home, Elin and Ethel silently contemplate “the gap between should and is.” This gap is a recurring theme throughout the book: What the characters think should happen vs. how things are in reality. How do the various characters attempt to reconcile their “shoulds” with their actual lives?
12. The book doesn’t end in typical fairy tale fashion. As Ethel says “Lest you find yourself searching for a neat bundle, nicely tied with a crisp bow, I will remind you: our futures remain uncertain. All the women are unmarried. A mother lost her child. And a body rots in the ground. You tell me: is this a happy ending?” Do you think the characters have found their own versions of “happily ever after”? In what ways are they better and worse off than if Ethel’s plans had succeeded?
13. What surprised you most about the author’s re-telling of the Cinderella fairy tale?

Click here for additional discussion questions from the publisher!

Audio Book Excerpt

Interview with Rachel Hochhauser