Clever Maids: the Secret History of the Grimm Fairy Tales by Valerie Paradiz New York: Basic Books, 2005, ISBN: 0-7382-0917-1, 222 pages, $23.00
Reviewed by Emily Classon, Director, Tyngsborough Public Library

Once upon a time, the Grimm Brothers compiled fairy tale collections to preserve Germany's cultural traditions when Napoleon's French invasion across Europe threatened the German way of life. The Grimms were especially interested in the Volk, or romanticized, underprivileged commoner. By spending years collecting various fairy tales, the Grimms hoped to express the cultural identity of the common man.

Pardiz shows, through scholarly research and letters, that the Grimms collected their fairy tales from groups of women, namely neighbors and friends, rather than from farmers and peasants. Middle class and aristocratic women provided the Grimms with cautionary tales, domestic tales, and those reflecting a paternalistic society. Ironically, the French inspired many of the tales believed to represent German culture.

Clever Maids presents the surrounding history that inspired the Grimm Brothers: the Napoleonic Wars, the early deaths of their male family members, the financial hardships and responsibilities the brothers faced, and the social expectations of women in the early nineteenth-century. Lesser-known fairy tales are told throughout the book and provide additional social references.

This book will appeal to those who enjoy literary origins, women's history, light biographies, or fairy tales. While written from academic facts, Clever Maids is an approachable initial presentation of the history of the Grimm brothers and their famous fairy tales.

Next month's review: The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant) by Avi.