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Prologue and Chapter 1 The Obscure Child

• The Prologue opens with an older woman reflecting on the tale of Cinderella that she hears children repeating. She is minded of her family through some similarities but finds the tale far from the reality of how things were.
• The Fisher family -- Margarethe (mother), Ruth (older, mentally impaired sister) and Iris (younger and very ugly sister) -- are introduced as a family fleeing from England. They have arrived in Haarlem with the hopes that Margarethe's grandfather will take them in. After a hard sea journey and a long walk through town with no real food, the Fishers learn that Margarethe's grandfather has passed away and there is no one left to care for them.

• After begging for work, the Fishers end up at the home of Schoonmaker, a painter. Margarethe will cook and clean, Ruth will collect flowers, and Iris will...

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