Jaclyn: The New Beanstalk Heroine

We’ve all heard about the boy named Jack selling his mother’s cow for some useless dried-up beans. When Jack’s mom learns of her son’s betrayal, she tosses the beans out the window only to be flabbergasted by the beanstalk penetrating the clouds the next morning. You may recall how Jack climbs the beanstalk, steals valuables from the giant, and returns home to enrich his now grateful mom.

All of that is wrong. It’s a diluted story to protect young children from the truth. A truth only award-winning author, Mary Ting, has the courage to tell in her 277 page novel, Jaclyn and the Beanstalk. Set in a rural 16^th century community, Jaclyn hears shrieks at night frightening her out of a restless sleep. She is a 16-year-old girl raised by her parents on a farm, hours away by horseback from the nearest town. During the day, she helps her father tend the animals and during their break, he teaches her the art of self-defense—skills she’ll soon use to save her own life and the lives of hundreds of villagers. 

When Jaclyn’s father joins villagers to confront a menace killing and stealing their livestock, and he doesn’t return home, Jaclyn investigates. Followed by her childhood crush, Jack, the duo encounters magic beans, nightmarish monsters, and a villain with a history spanning 1500 years. 

Mary Ting brings her readers a descriptive novel with exemplary characters and an exciting plot that shows the importance of family with a Christian-based theme. Jaclyn and the Beanstalk has Jaclyn telling her story, the true story, of the beanstalk and how a girl saves an entire community with the assistance of her friend Jack. 

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About the Author

Mary Ting, born in Seoul, South Korea, is an award-winning author known for her soulful, spellbinding stories that have captivated readers all over the globe. She doesn’t write just fairy tale retellings, but also science fiction, romance novels, and fantasy. She has had the privilege of touring with the Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy with her children’s chapter book, No Bullies Allowed. Mary lives in Southern California with her husband and two children.