Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Like his first book, Wicked (1995), a retelling of The Wizard of Oz, Gregory Maguire’s young adult novel Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (1999) takes its inspiration from a classic children’s tale. This time, it is inspired by Cinderella. In 2002, it was loosely adapted into a TV movie for the Disney Channel, starring Azuara Skye and Stockard Channing.

The novel begins with the aged Iris listening to a group of children telling the story of Cinderella. She is reminded of her own childhood, growing up with a beautiful stepsister named Clara, who is now dead.

Iris remembers arriving in American from Holland when she was a child. Her mother, Margarethe, and her disabled sister, Ruth, accompany her. The impoverished and starving group is hoping to stay with and be cared for by Grandfather. In the marketplace, Ruth causes a scene. She is stopped by Clara, a beautiful girl, who gives Ruth a toy before driving away in a carriage.



When they arrive at Grandfather’s house, they find that he is dead. Margarethe hunts for a way to support them, eventually finding employment for the family in the studio of Schoonmaker, a painter. While Margarethe works as a maid, Iris poses for the paintings.

Iris is worried that Haarlem is full of Changelings, mythical beings that are without sympathy or basic human qualities. She poses for Schoonmaker, who at first berates her and threatens her because she cannot keep still for long periods. However, after Iris meets Schoonmaker’s handsome assistant, Caspar, she begins to change. Caspar is appreciative of Iris’s skill, and Iris becomes a better model because he believes in her.

One day, while Schoonmaker is out, Caspar allows Iris to see one of the paintings of her. Iris is shocked by her ugly appearance in the painting. Caspar tries to explain that the painting makes her look uglier than she actually is because it cannot capture her personality, but Iris is still upset.



When she returns to the studio, she finds a wealthy man Cornelius van den Meer is there to buy paintings from Schoonmaker. Though he is not impressed by the work, he does appreciate Margarethe’s work and offers to employ the family in his household. Iris does not want to go, but Margarethe reminds her that they must work or starve. Upon arrival, Iris learns that Cornelius’s daughter is the beautiful Clara. Her job is to be a companion for Clara and to teach her English.

Clara admits to Iris that her mother is overprotective, and she is not allowed to leave the house. The girls become friends while Clara sits for a painting by Schoonmaker. This creates excuses for Caspar to be around Iris, as they have developed romantic feelings for each other. One day, while Clara’s mother is bedridden with a difficult pregnancy, Iris conceives a plan to sneak Clara out of the house. As they enact their plan, they are caught by Margarethe. At first, Iris thinks they are in trouble, but Margarethe has only come to call them back because Clara’s mother is dying.

Margarethe becomes a default mother figure to Clara, who resents her because she is a stricter disciplinarian than her own mother. Though Margarethe has feelings for the artists Schoonmaker, she makes the practical decision to marry the wealthy Cornelius to provide for her family. Iris is disappointed by this.



Iris is busy preparing for the wedding. Margarethe insists that Clara help as well, though she is resentful of this. She begins to dress as a maid and spend time near the hearth while she continues to grieve for her mother. Margarethe shows off her wealth around town. Iris is disgusted by her mother’s behavior, but she is glad that she now has more free time. She spends it with Caspar and Schoonmaker, who has agreed to take Iris on as a second apprentice.

Cornelius makes a bad business investment and the family loses much of its fortune. Margarethe plans to secure their future by networking at an upcoming ball thrown by Marie de Medici. Clara does not want to attend the ball because she knows Margarethe will try to marry her to Marie’s wealthy godson. Clara is tired of being beautiful because she feels that people never see past it to her other qualities.

The wealthy businessman Nicolas van Stolk pays off Cornelius’s debt because he has an interest in marrying Clara. Iris and Clara devise a plan to help her escape the unwanted marriage. They devise a way for Clara to attend Marie’s ball in secret so she can meet and charm the handsome Prince Phillippe, who has been interested in Clara since seeing Schoonmaker’s painting of her.



Clara arrives at the ball and is immediately a hit with the prince. However, she is forced to flee to escape being discovered by Margarethe, leaving one of her slippers behind. Later that night, after Margarethe has retired to bed, Caspar and Phillippe arrive at the family home since Caspar has informed Phillippe that he recognizes the lost slipper. Clara and Phillippe are reunited, and Clara agrees to marry him on the condition that he keeps her family safe.