WOMS: Wake Me Most Wickedly

Felicia Grossman has done it again with another fairy tale retelling with her Once Upon the East End series, but this time the twist isn’t only the swapped gender roles in her version of Snow White. This week, we’re talking all about Wake Me Most Wickedly, and what makes a true villain.

Solomon Weiss may have lost the opportunity to marry Isabelle Lira to his more than deserving friend, Aaron Ellenberg, but he managed to walk away as her new business partner. Now he can make true on his promise to repay his older brother for all he did to raise him after their parents died. However, an unlikely meeting with a social pariah might undo all his hard work, but she doesn’t stay long enough to even let him thank her for saving his life from those thugs. When their paths cross again a few months later at shul, Sol sees his opportunity to do just that.

Hannah wishes Sol would leave her alone. She has a business to run, a business he wouldn’t want to find himself associating with since his brother has taken strides to align himself with his non-Jewish customers and distance himself from the community. Her family already made matters worse for the budding community years ago, leaving her ostracized as they repaired the damage. If he was seen with her, it would ruin Sol’s reputation, and by default, his brother’s. She can’t risk it, even if Sol acts like it doesn’t change what he thinks of her. Besides, she needs to secure her sister’s dowry and future, far away from her and their past. She can’t afford any distractions. Not right now when she’s so close to having enough saved up to hire a matchmaker.

Try as they both might, though, Sol and Hannah find themselves irresistibly drawn to one another, unable to deny the heat and passion between them. Soon, though, Hannah uncovers a plot to kill Sol. Can she win his trust in time—despite her tarnished reputation—to save him?

While Marry Me by Midnight was sweet and romantic, there was a sultry darkness to this wicked seduction, which I found compelling and relatable.

Grossman turns up the heat in other ways, too. Like in Midnight, she confronts antisemitism, but in Wickedly, her approach is far less subtle. Instead, she tackles a pervasive antisemitic trope head on in the character of Hannah, who is an acute reversal of the wicked crone stereotype. In the same way Naomi Novik adapted Rumpelstiltskin, repairing the damage of centuries of antisemitism associated with money lenders and characters like Shylock, Grossman takes the evil witch images from the Brothers Grimm, emphasized and immortalized by Disney’s adaptation of Snow White, and defiantly confronts these false representations of Jewish women, which still haunt us today. Through Hannah, Grossman redefines the stereotype for what it truly is: a strategy to undermine a people and reduce their humanity to something other, something less, until it is removed altogether.

There are a few other moments I absolutely adored that had me kvelling, but spoilers—they’re from the epilogue.

In a rare moment for Jewish representation, the final scene reveals Sol and Hannah’s marital bliss and a glimpse of a lesser known holiday, Simchat Torah. Then there’s my personal favourite: them singing Sh’ma together with their son before sleep! This is a prominent tradition, and not something I’ve seen depicted enough of in any media.

Not only did I get more Disney Princess vibes, but with even more Jewishness!

I adore these boldly, unapologetic Jewish romances. There are rumors the next two installments will be Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel retellings, but I’m not sure which is which. The next one is expected to be released in June 2025, and by the title, my guess is we’re getting the Rapunzel retelling with Seduce Me in Secret.

I can’t wait! I’m super excited to see what new versions of the fairy tale Grossman will enchant us with next!