This classic Russian folktale offers a thrilling gothic variant of the Cinderella story: the orphan Vasilisa is treated unkindly by her step-mother and two half-sisters but is saved by the interventions of a magical doll left to her by her mother. Thanks to the doll and her own bravery, Vasilisa survives a sinister plan to deliver her up to the terrifying witch, Baba Yaga who lives nearby in the dark forest. The plot rebounds on her jealous relations and sets in motion a chain of events which reward the kind-hearted Vasilisa with the love of a surrogate mother and marriage to the Tsar. The detailed text is matched by richly coloured illustrations in the style of oil paintings with decorative borders and lettering.