since you mentioned loving Ella Enchanted and Fairest (which are incredible pieces of literature) I was wondering if you’ve ever heard of Just Ella. It’s a different take on Cinderella that had a very similar protagonist but keeps to a semi historical feel. It really reminded me of the other books.
so...yes, I have. I was quite fond of it as a child.
and in hindsight, it's one of the worst examples of Historical NLOG in youth fiction I can think of
not ONE of the women at the palace is like. a fully fleshed-out human. except maybe Madame Bisset. they only exist to make Ella look smarter, tougher, and all-around better. I loved this book as a child, but looking back on it, there's a passage where Ella straight-up dismisses out of hand the notion that any of her apparently brainless ladies-in-waiting might have some sort of internal life or interests. one of them is a highly skilled embroidery artist, but that's treated as a surprise, a curiosity rather than a genuine interest on her part. you're never even allowed to think for one second that Ella might be wrong about them or judging them unfairly. the women at the refugee camp have a bit more going on, but even then, they're portrayed as too content with their lot and lacking in Ella's intelligence, drive, and/or imagination
Ella Enchanted never fell into this trap. Hattie and Olive were cruel to Ella in their own ways, but they each had their own things going on (insecurity for Hattie; intellectual disability and loneliness for Olive). there are plenty of other female characters presented, bucking social norms or otherwise, who feel like three-dimensional people: Mandy, Ella's mother, Areida...even Queen Daria, the boarding school bullies and headmistress, and Uaxee the giantess
Just Ella doesn't sit right with me anymore