If beauty is everything, what happens when it is gone?

Rose, one of the lost children of Fairendale, finds herself transported, by way of a Vanishing spell, to the mysterious land of Eastermoor, where frightful creatures, including Were people, abound. Her parents groomed her to be a princess, not a survivalist, and though she is a sorceress, she is not coping well–and copes even worse when a pool of water reveals that she is no longer a beauty, she is an old, ugly (by her standards) crone.

She lies down on the forest floor with the intention of remaining there forever, wallowing in her grief, until a girl named Red appears. Rose flees and hides, afraid of being seen by human eyes that might look on her with disgust. But the woods grow increasingly more dangerous, Red continues to pursue her, and Rose must decide: can she learn to trust the eyes of others and step into her purpose before disaster overtakes them all?

The Girl Who Befriended Rose-Red is the fourteenth book in the Fairendale series, an epic fantasy middle grade series that explores both familiar and unfamiliar fairy tales, legends, myths, and folk tales. The world of Fairendale revolves around villains and heroes–all on a quest for what they believe is right. Throughout the series, the story of King Willis and his determination to keep the throne of Fairendale (at all costs? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.) is woven into the story of his son, Prince Virgil, heir to the throne and friend to the village children, and the story of fairy tale children fleeing for their lives–children who become what we know as fairy tale villains, for one good reason or another.

But, remember, one cannot always know, at first glance, who is the villain and who is the hero.