The Goose Girl is a fantasy novel by Shannon Hale based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same title, published by Bloomsbury in 2003.

The book won the 2003 Josette Frank Award for fiction and has been published in English, Spanish, Hungarian, Dutch, Japanese, and Vietnamese.

[1][2][3] While in graduate school at the University of Montana, Hale decided to write a novelization of her favorite fairy tale, The Goose Girl,[4] after a challenge from a friend.

[5] She sought to mainly stay "as close to the skeleton of the original tale" as possible[6] while diving deeper into parts of the story that were left unexplained before.

Her aunt became her nursemaid and constant companion, nicknaming her Ani and telling her stories about three gifts people have: people-speaking, animal-speaking, and nature-speaking.

"[10] Diane Samuels, in a review for The Guardian, wrote that Hale's writing "has energy and can be gripping, but the sheer bulk of words used to elaborate on each detail is a problem.

"[11] A Publishers Weekly review also cited too much detail as a drawback, but also called The Goose Girl "a satisfying and richly embellished retelling of a classic that communicates values still pertinent to contemporary readers.

"[12] Kirkus Reviews also remarked that "Hale's first novel is too long by a fair amount," but added that "ensorcelled teen readers, swept up in the romance and the luscious language, probably won’t notice.

"[13] School Library Journal wrote: "Hale's retelling is a wonderfully rich one, full of eloquent description and lovely imagery, and with a complex plot, a large cast of characters, and a strong female protagonist.

"[14] Booklist also praised Ani's characterization, and called the novel "a fine adventure tale full of danger, suspense, surprising twists, and a satisfying conclusion.