Rumaysa: A Fairytale

By: Radiya Hafiza, Rhaida El Touny

Narrated by: Tara Jaffar

Step into a Once Upon a Time where anything is possible . . . Radiya Hafiza's enchanting and funny debut weaves together three stories, spinning the classic fairytale to show that anyone can be a hero.

'Rumaysa, Rumaysa, let down your hijab!'

For as long as she can remember Rumaysa has been locked away in her tower, forced to spin straw into gold for the evil Witch, unable to leave. Until one day, after dropping a hijab out of her small tower-window, Rumaysa realizes how she might be able to escape . . .

Join Rumaysa as she adventures through enchanted forests and into dragon's lairs, discovers her own incredible magical powers and teams up with Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara!

Rumaysa: A Fairytale is a magically fresh, empowering and funny debut, which retells three classic fairytales – Rapunzel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

Critic reviews

Glitteringly beautiful & heart-thumpingly exciting. I laughed, gasped & cried tears of joy, this is a fairytale reimagining the world has needed for a long time. It's going to dazzle & delight readers of all ages (Sophie Anderson, author of The House With Chicken Legs)

I loved the three heroines of this wonderful tale, loved how their stories intersected each other and that they were their own rescuers and path-finders. Three classic fairytales, beautifully woven together, sparkling with magic and humour. (Nizrana Farook, author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant)

All the fairytales in this exciting collection are vivid, magical and wonderful – each one spinning the genre on its head and bringing the stories right up to date with their diverse heroines taking centre stage. I just adored it! (Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha and the Spirit Bird)

An enchanting and cleverly woven trio of tales filled with humour, charm, and magic. (Aisha Bushby, author of A Pocketful of Stars)

Blending fairytales and cultures in a witty and playful story of strong-willed female protagonists, Hafiza crafts a world of magic and enchantment with immense skill.

A laugh out loud fairy tale . . . a wonderful, immediately likeable gang of characters, hilarious dialogue and that special tale feeling - of both specificity and universality, of now, then and always . . . a joy to read. (Louie Stowell, author of The Dragon in the Library)

Gorgeous, through and through. (Amy Wilson, author of A Girl Called Owl)

This is gorgeous . . . three fairytales reimagined and woven together into a lyrical and funny treat. (Sophie Wills, author of The Orphans of St Halibut's)

Brown girls take centre stage in the stories of Rumaysa, Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara as Hafiza puts a playful new spin on three classic fairytales . . . woven into a funny, empowering adventure of sisterhood.

A wonderful addition to South Asian Fantasy Lit.

What a sweet adventure that promotes believing in yourself, being kind, and opening yourself up to the strength of friendship. I loved the twists and turns made out of popular fairytales such as Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. I look forward to reading more stories about Rumaysa.