Straight on Till Morning, A Twisted Tale
by Liz Braswell read by Lorna Bennett
Childhood dreams are never simple
 | Braswell takes Peter Pan in a new direction. Straight On Till Morning centers around two females: a sixteen-year-old girl and a tiny, determined fairy. Wendy, on the cusp of adulthood, faces the prospect of the dreary predictable life that society expects of her: caring for her younger brothers and ultimately becoming a governess. This girl who delights in spinning stories wants more. Under cover of darkness she escapes England for her land of make-believe. Bargaining with Captain Hook, she offers Peter Pan’s shadow in exchange for passage to Neverland. |
The result of her plan is not exactly what she envisioned. The pirates want her to be their “mother.” She will do the cooking, mending, and laundry. Wendy wonders: Where is the adventure she longed for? And where is Peter Pan?
She discovers that there’s a lot more happening in this fantasy world. Hook’s objective is to destroy Neverland and Wendy has unwittingly become an accomplice in his sinister plan. She realizes that she has played into his schemes and determines that she must outwit Hook. This involves obtaining Peter's shadow and returning it to its rightful owner, recruiting the Lost Boys to help her defeat Hook and save Neverland.
The narrative is fantasy from Wendy's perspective, exploring the relationship between reality and the land of stories. Wendy discovers that the Neverland she and others dreamed of has become her reality. She wonders if imagined stories can truly come to life.
An interesting subplot is the relationship between Tinkerbell and Wendy. Initially Wendy is thrilled with the prospect of meeting a fairy, a tiny little being who sparkles and can fly. She hopes that they can become friends. This enthusiasm is squashed by the fairy’s excessive jealousy. Wendy examines her feelings for Peter and knows that while she is intrigued by this boy who never grew up, that’s just it. He will never grow up. She wants more from a relationship than this youngster can offer her. It takes time and patience but eventually the girl and fairy reach a truce and take tentative steps toward friendship.
After successfully dealing with pirates, fairies, Captain Hook, and The Lost Boys, Wendy comes to terms with who she is and what her life will be. She wants to return to England but no longer in the role of surrogate mother. She wants to be her own woman and pursue her own dreams. Writing stories will certainly be a part of that dream.
Bennett's narration captures the distinctive personality of each character. Her lovely British accent gives the tale an enchanting storytelling quality.
More Twisted Tales
| If you like your "happily ever after" with a contemporary spin, try Twisted Tales, a Disney series reimagining classic fairytales. Currently there are nine titles in the Twisted Tale collection. For those who like to read a series in order, here is the current list, beginning with A Whole New World (2016) to So This is Love (2020). The series is written by fantasy authors Jen Calonita, Elizabeth Lim, and Liz Braswell. |  |
Audiobook accessed via Axis 360.
Release date: February 4, 2020 Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
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