"The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small. 'Off with his head!' she said, without even looking around."
~Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
Before Alice, before the White Rabbit was looking for Mary Ann and before Wonderland was ruled by the Queen of Hearts, there was Catherine Pinkerton.
Cath lives with her parents, the Marquess and Marchioness Pinkerton, in Turtle Cove. She longs to be a baker, opening up a bakery with her lady's maid and best friend, Mary Ann. Her desserts and treats are adored by all, especially the King of Hearts.
At a ball, Cath learns of the King's intention's to propose marriage to her. After a mysterious meeting of the King's joker, Jest, Cath's world -- and the entirety of Wonderland -- are turned topsy-turvy.
When Jest introduces Cath to the ragtag team of Hatta and Haigha at a mad tea party, she comes to learn her fate of becoming a Queen is not so far away, even if it may be to someone as dimwitted as the King. Although their love grows continuously, Jest pushes Cath to accept, knowing what it could mean for her, Turtle Cove, Hearts and the Land of Chess.
But not every fairytale has a happy ending and sometimes, you have to lose your head.
I first read this book when I was around 16 or 17 and fell in love, no pun intended. Cath is someone we can all relate to. She wants nothing than to follow her dreams and her heart. When she realizes the only true love she has ever known can slip through her fingers as easily as sand through an hourglass, she wonders what her true fate has always been.
I had never read a backstory for the Queen of Hearts and now, every time I see her I think of her beginnings. I am a sucker for a villain origin story, and this one will sit with you long after it's over. Watching her go from a young woman in love to the heartless queen of Wonderland is a story worth reading. And losing your head has never been more heartbreaking.
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