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A Curse Dark as Gold (2008)

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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1,0707019,064 (3.83)108
Upon the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Charlotte struggles to keep the family's woolen mill running in the face of an overwhelming mortgage and what the local villagers believe is a curse, but when a man capable of spinning straw into gold appears on the scene she must decide if his help is worth the price.… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 70 (next | show all)
I just simply cant finish this at the moment.So far its plodded along trying to build up a backstory and the worldbuilding.Wich is very bland. As are the characters.

Also

I swear I was ready to slam this into the wall if it made any more mention of sheep/wool/spinning etc

I am sure since its supposed to be a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin there will be magic eventually but all there is so far is mention of some kind of vague curse between the characters talking about wool.

I dont really like that the heroine is so obsessed about wool.

WOOL! ( )
  Litrvixen | Jun 23, 2022 |
A Rumpelstiltskin retelling with a strong, independent female protagonist, small-town superstitions, an eccentric uncle, and maybe even a ghost!

When Charlotte’s father dies, he leaves no sons to take over the wool mill at the heart of their town, but Charlotte and her sister are determined to keep it running on their own. The town is depending on them. But bad fortune plagues them at every turn, so that even level-headed Charlotte starts to think there might be some truth in the rumours about the Miller family curse. When a strange man calling himself Jack Spinner appears and offers to help them get out of debt in exchange for only her mother’s inexpensive ring, she thinks it might be too good to be true — but she’s out of options.

Soon enough the truth will come to light and Charlotte will have to find a way to right the wrongs of the past … and there is far more than the Mill at stake.

Rumpelstiltskin stories have so much potential for creativity, and this one certainly delivered! It’s rather slow-paced, but once it gets to the interesting parts it’s very interesting and everything pays off really well! ( )
  vvbooklady | Jun 21, 2022 |
A beautiful book. It starts a little slow, but Bunce builds the suspense, and sense of menace, superbly in that easy pace, leading at length to an ending that is exactly what an ending should be. I won't say more than that for fear of ruining your own experience of the novel, but I recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed Laura Whitcomb's A Certain Slant of Light or Katharine Eliska Kimbriel's Night Calls. ( )
  slimikin | Mar 27, 2022 |
This was a take on the "Rumpelstiltskin" fairy tale. The owner of a cursed water mill has died, leaving two young daughters who take up the trade and continue to run the business. Their dead mother's brother shows up as a guardian, and the girls fight for the right to stay and run the mill. Misfortune and bad luck continue to keep the girls from getting ahead.
Details of the water mills and milling work are incorporated into the story line. The characters are wonderfully written and for the most part, very likeable. The ending is a bit different from the original story, but the story was a delightful treat on a Sunday afternoon. ( )
  RobertaLea | Mar 13, 2022 |
Really enthralling Rumplestiltskin retelling. However, I think it suffers from being in the teen section. Really reads like an adult book to me (reminded me of Keturah and Lord Death in that way) ( )
  readingjag | Nov 29, 2021 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Bunce, Elizabeth C.primary authorall editionsconfirmed
Parry, CharlotteNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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When my father died, I thought the world would come to an end.
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Upon the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Charlotte struggles to keep the family's woolen mill running in the face of an overwhelming mortgage and what the local villagers believe is a curse, but when a man capable of spinning straw into gold appears on the scene she must decide if his help is worth the price.

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Book description
The gold thread shimmers in the fading light.
It promises Charlotte Miller a way out of debt, a chance to save her family's beloved woolen mill. It promises a future for her sister, livelihood for her townsfolk, security against her sinuous and grasping uncle. It might even promise what she didn't know she needed: lasting hope and true love.

But at what cost?

To get the thread, Charlotte must strike a bargain with its maker, the mysterious Jack Spinner. But the gleam of gold conjures a shadowy past -- secrets and bonds ensnaring generations of Millers. And Charlotte's mill, her family, her friends, her love . . . What do those matter to a powerful stranger who can spin straw into gold?
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