After the Ball: A Woman’s Tale of Reclaiming Happily Ever After

by: Barb Greenberg

Published by: Rose Path Press

Reviewed by Elizabeth Bright

Every once in a while a book comes along that has you telling everyone about it. This is After the Ball, a truly inspirational book for women–single, married, widowed, or re-singled.

Written like a fairytale, Greenberg uses Cinderella and Snow White to tell her story about women who thought they had married well (in this case, princes who were cousins)–and then as time went on, the shine went off the princes’ crown. The women meet for tea after a long journey across the countryside from their distant castles.

When they admit to each other (isn’t that always the first step of action) that they were SO unhappy, the story starts. We have a wise woman in the woods, we have trusty steads (horses) and beautiful carriages–all the elements of a fairytale, but this one isn’t.

What have these princesses put up with that hurt their deepest soul? Can they survive alone without the prince? What can these princesses do “after”? How do they support each other?

As stated on the back cover, “Many a princess lives ”˜happily ever after’ with a prince who is strong and true. This is cause to celebrate. But not all royal couples are so fortunate. After the Ball offers hope and inspiration to the princess who finds her fairy tale is ending much differently than expected and is now, or will soon be, prince-less.”

Written as if every single word was most valuable to the story, Greenberg created poetry in her prose. When the wise woman told them a story about a prince taking his princess’s power, I was mesmerized how carefully elegantly the story was told. My favorite line is: One day her fairy godmother came to this princess and whispered, “Trust yourself, my sweet dear, trust yourself.”

With hundreds of self-help books for women in relationships, this lovely little book (from the amazing cover to the last word) is truly a gift to your friends, sisters, daughters–all woman in your life. In about 100 pages, the story of these two women’s lives starts sadly–and wonderfully moves them to a better place. Oh if it could be so simple, but After the Ball will inspire any woman to go forward, or to appreciate the struggles of other women.

Armchair Interviews says: Trust yourself, my sweet dear, trust yourself and get this 5-star book–and don’t stop at one copy.

To see the wonderful cover or order the book—publisher’s web site: http://www.RosePathPress.com