Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast was first published in 1978, written by American children's book author Robin McKinley. It was her first book, retelling the classic French fairy tale "La Belle et La Bete". The book was the 1998 Phoenix Award honor book. It was the 1966 -1988 Best of the Best Books for Young Adults. An unabridged audio-book recording was released by Recorded Books in 2013, narrated by Charlotte Parry, and is currently available via Audible.com. Roderick Huston, a wealthy merchant and
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast widower, has three daughters; Grace, Hope, and Honour. When Honour was a child she asked what her name meant and afterwards said she'd rather be named Beauty, a nickname which soon stuck. As she grows older, she feels the nickname is increasingly ill-fitting, as she remains plain while her sisters become lovelier and more socially adept. Grace becomes engaged to Robert Tucker, one of her father's ship captains, and Hope to a blacksmith named Gervain Woodhouse. When all of Huston's ships are lost at sea, Robert is presumed dead and the family become destitute. Gervain, who has decided to return