The Lost Story: A Novel

Rafe, Jeremy, and Emilie drive to the house in which Rafe grew up. Rafe still finds the old home ugly, though he remembers that Jeremy did not want to leave it the first time he came over. Before they head in, Rafe tells the others to keep the bit about reentering Red Crow a secret from Bobbi until he can gradually break it to her. Emilie agrees but counters that secrecy is useless, as Bobbi, like most moms, will know the real purpose of their visit immediately. Bobbi comes out and greets the three, happy to see that Rafe has shaved. She is even more delighted to see Jeremy, whom she loves like a son. Jeremy calls Bobbi “Mom” (135).

The narrator says that there are usually only two types of moms in fairy tales: the good, dead mother and the evil, living stepmother. Fathers in fairy tales tend to make poor decisions, such as marry the vile stepmother or, as in the case of Rumpelstiltskin, brag unnecessarily about their children so as to attract unwanted attention. A few fairy tales, like this one, contain a third kind of mother: the fairy godmother. The godmother doesn’t have to be magical; she just has to bestow a gift upon a worthy character.