The Souls of Her Feet

by Kristen Caven
(Little Pig Productions, 2013; Uplift Press 2015, 2019)

Part One of the Fairytale Reality Project

Ashley St. Helens wins a contest seeking real people with fairytale lives. But her Cinderella story has a new twist: her feet aren’t the dainty things that fit in tiny glass slippers. They’re huge. They’re boats. Standing sideways, she looks like a capital L. It’s hard enough being a teenager with an overactive brain in a dysfunctional family full of helpless, perfectionist narcissists when the only footwear that fits her are her dad’s old sneakers. But when an old family friend shows up with a fresh set of secrets and gives her the encouragement she needs to start being a little more assertive, Ashley gets her proverbial foot in the door of the opportunities she really wants: soul love and a scholarship.

Harry, a closeted gay human rights lawyer by day and a drag queen by night knows a thing or two about becoming a woman. He takes Ashley in hand to be the princess she is meant to be, offering her a glamorous alternative to a world of tacky clutter and inane materialism. And when she finally gets to the prom, wearing just the right shoes, the transformed Ashley finally feels seen. The Souls of Her Feet is an emotional page turner full of funny fairytale twists, fresh character interpretations, and laugh-out-loud allusions, inspired by a musical offering the roles of a lifetime.

This new (4th) edition contains bonus materials such as essays by the main characters and songs from the musical.