Sharma’s stories drawn on history and fairytales, as with this stories. Rapunzel is held prisoner in a tower, the outside world a mystery to her.
It’s not a Brothers Grimm fairytale setting, as we find out when she leaves, but her life has been fairly grim. Shorn of her auburn tresses, she has to strike out into the new (contemporary) world and making a living on the few skills she has (playing the piano), with a little secret in her stomach.
Dark at times, and the note after the end of the story IMHO does spoil the story a tad (do we really want to find out the inspiration for every story we read?)
More from this issue here.
