Scratch my brain itch - find this book!

March 3, 2020 9:59 AM

My google skills are failing me, and I cannot pull the author or title out of my memory bank. Can you help me find this book to reread?

Young adult novel, with a cover showing the heroine sweeping a stage. A production of Cinderella drove most of the plot - the main character's mom disapproved of theater, maybe? But a refreshing switch had our heroine fail to make the cast, start painting sets, prove to be terrible at it, and then change to lighting design. Her grandmother made stained glass. PLEASE help me find this!

posted by House of Leaves of Grass to Writing & Language (5 answers total)

I absolutely read this as a child. Your details are right. Sorry I don't have the title for you!
posted by foxtongue at 10:58 AM on March 3, 2020

This also sounds super familiar to me and I'm also struggling to place it. When would you have read this book? 80s? 90s?
posted by acidnova at 11:28 AM on March 3, 2020

I also read this book, probably between 1990 and 1995. I remember glowing descriptions of how the lighting made the very plainly-painted sets come alive. I think some lame dude got to do the painting instead of her. I hope someone remembers the title!
posted by juliapangolin at 12:04 PM on March 3, 2020

Best answer: Hi! Looks like it's Glass Slippers Give You Blisters by Mary Jane Auch. The key phrase was apparently "painting sets" - led me to another person who was looking for the same book here!
posted by sparkling at 12:31 PM on March 3, 2020 [5 favorites]

Response by poster: I am so glad that a) I was not alone and b) sparkling came in for the save! Off to the library, to revisit a childhood classic! I would have read this between 1990 and 1995, same as juliapangolin.
posted by House of Leaves of Grass at 3:08 PM on March 3, 2020 [1 favorite]