One of the things I love to do at the end of the year is go through the books I've read and decide which ones topped the list of favorites and which I'd love to see adapted. What I love even more though is when I can identify an easy pick for that list the moment I finish the book, which is what happened with a recent read. Upon finishing this particular new release, not only am I certain it'll be among my 2026 favorites, but I also really hope it gets its own book-to-screen adaptation.
Lady Tremaine is the debut novel by Rachel Hochhauser, and is probably best described as a retelling of Cinderella, but from the stepmother's point of view. However, the story is much more grounded, and a lot darker than the tale many of us likely know best from Disney's animated version, which is based on Charles Perrault's telling of the story, or one of the many other adaptations of the love story.
There are no singing mice in Lady Tremaine. The story focuses on Lady Etheldreda, a twice-widowed woman who's desperately trying to secure her family's future during a time where opportunities for women were often the kind you either inherited or married into. Speaking to Publisher's Weekly, Hochhauser explained that her inspiration for the book happened around a time when she was going through an especially challenging time as a wife and mother. As she explained it:
Article continues belowDuring this season of what felt like ongoing sacrifice, I was sitting in a hospital waiting room, scrolling on my phone, when I came across a depiction of Cinderella’s evil stepmother. For the first time, I didn’t see a villain. I saw a mother—a woman doing what she needed to do to take care of her family. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. That initial fascination grew into Lady Tremaine.
One of the things I liked so much about the book was seeing how resilient and hard-working the lead character is as she tries to secure a better future for her children. As that's being set up, the land's prince is in a rush to find a bride, and there's more to the story there as well. I won't get into the specifics on the dark turn the story takes, but it definitely presents a different take on the love story between the Prince and Ethel's stepdaughter, Elin.
Her whirlwind romance does factor in significantly, but the primary story centers around Ethel as a mother and the lady of a house she's trying very hard to keep together. Though this story has fairytale elements, if you're looking for something warm and cozy, Lady Tremaine isn't it. Still, I couldn't put it down, and if it gets made for the screen, I absolutely want to see it.
I can see Lady Tremaine working as a movie, but could also easily see it turned into a miniseries or limited series. Part of the story dives into Ethel's upbringing, the relationship she forms with her first husband and how certain events impact the present-day tale being told. This is a story that would make for some truly great casting, particularly in the roles of Ethel, her two biological daughters, as well as her stepdaughter. And, I definitely envision it as being geared toward an adult audience, unlike something like Maleficent or Cruella which were both pretty family-friendly.
From what I can tell, there are no plans to adapt the book just yet, however the novel was selected as a Reese's Book Club pick, so I can't help but hope that there's a chance Hello Sunshine will option the story for an adaptation. If not Reese Witherspoon's production company, then perhaps someone else will snatch up the rights, as I think the story is brimming with potential. In the meantime, this was a five-star read for me, and I'll be on the lookout for future books by Hochhauser!
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