A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Names have power. Knowing Rumplestiltskin's name allowed the miller's daughter to keep her child - we all know that story.

This is a version of a similar story, set in England about 200 years ago. After her father's death, a bargain with a mysterious, ghostly figure allows Charlotte Miller to keep her family's mill going. But the mill seems to have a mind of its own. Charlotte knows she needs to set things right, and must figure out how to save the mill, the village and her own family.

This is a well-written, detailed fairy tale, although the family connections seem a bit convoluted in the last chapter where everything winds together. Fans of retold tales should enjoy the story.

- Jeri Cohen, Patchogue-Medford Library