As the inspiration for revisiting this story came in part from McKinley's loss of her Maine cottage, and from her discovery of gardening, it is not surprising that the setting is important in Rose Daughter, nor that the garden is at the heart of the novel. Not since Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden has there been such a profound appreciation for the magic inherent in working the earth. Even early on in the novel, before Beauty's family's troubles begin, she finds solace from her daily chores in the garden. It is her space, and her ability to grow things is her special gift. Gardens abound in this book. There is a magnificent garden at Rose Cottage, and the Beast has a dying rose garden which Beauty brings back to life. Beauty's association with gardens is what marks her as a bringer of life; just as she revives...