Upon birth, Ella received the “gift” of obedience from the misguided but well-intentioned fairy Lucinda—a foolish mistake that would change the course of Ella’s life forever. What Lucinda perceived to be a beautiful gift turns the young Ella’s life into a nightmare, for she has been robbed completely of the gift of free will. Menial tasks become loathsome. Simple, well-intentioned orders become a burden due to her inability to accept them freely. But Ella is constantly aware of the fact that some would abuse her inability to act of her own free will: she could be forced to betray her family, betray her kingdom, or even cut off her own head.

Ella’s journey to end her curse takes her to the far reaches of Kyria, where she encounters ogres, giants, and even the crown Prince of Kyria, Prince Charmont, whom she unexpectedly befriended following her mother’s death and seems to meet in the most unexpected of places. The fact that she can't seem to make Lucinda retract the gift is only worsened when her father remarries and welcomes a horrid stepmother and selfish stepsisters into their household. In this innovative and thought-provoking retelling of Cinderella, Gail Carson Levine does not disappoint; rather than allowing the heroine to fall into happily-ever-after, Ella must fight to protect those she loves and to overcome her curse, thus regaining the gift of free will that she has never had.