Fairy Tale with a twist

One of my most recent Audible audiobook finds was a wonderful book called A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce. At one point on the Audible site there was actually a button that said something like "books for knitters" which totally thrilled me. This was such a great find for me since I've be learning to spin as the story takes place in a wool mill.

A Curse Dark as Gold is the story of Charlotte Miller, the daughter of a long line of wool millers, and her challenges running a struggling mill. The story is a retelling of the fairy tale Rumplestiltskin, and the author does a wonderful job of creating a unique and interesting storyline.

The book is full of fiber references, most of them based on historical research. Like the detailed description of  Jack Spinner (Rumplestiltskin) using a drop spindle and a loom. Although in the disclaimer at the end the author admits that some of the technology is a little forward for the time period in the book. She goes into a good deal of detail about the textile process starting from the raw wool into the woven cloth and the cloth dyeing process, which is really rare for a fantasy novel.

All in all this was a wonderful book, with a strong heroine and lots of wool. It had elements of fantasy, historical fiction and even a bit of suspense woven into a fantastic tale.