Disney's 1951 animated film, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, is set to receive a new sequel novel titled Wondrous, by Heather Fawcett. The book will celebrate the original film's 75th anniversary and is scheduled for release on October 6th.
Wondrous picks up years after the events of the 1951 film, with Alice navigating 19th century London. Facing pressure from her parents to marry a Baron to secure their estate, Alice instead dreams of opening a traveling magic tea shop. Her path leads her back to Wonderland, where she encounters multiple versions of herself, each claiming to be the true Alice. To resolve this, the Queen of Hearts tasks the Alices with stopping a trio of mock dragons, with failure resulting in permanent exile from Wonderland.
Random House and Disney have shared an exclusive excerpt from the novel, offering a glimpse into Alice's departure and her return to the fantastical realm. The excerpt details Alice's farewell to her niece, Tansy, and her internal conflict regarding her family's financial troubles, which her parents intend to solve through her arranged marriage. The passage highlights Alice's feeling of being undervalued, stating, "A daughter could be bartered away, while a field could not."
As Alice flees her responsibilities and the familiar estate, she finds herself in a dark and unfamiliar public park, feeling as though she is being followed. This unsettling sensation is amplified by the faint glow of the rabbit hole in the moonlight. The excerpt portrays her hasty descent, noting that the entrance felt narrower than before. Inside, she is greeted by a hedgehog, whom she addresses as "Hedgewitch," and she fondly recalls her cat, Dinah, who was taken from her by her parents.
The scent of the ocean, biscuits, and gardens wafts from the rabbit hole as Alice takes a deep breath. The narrative emphasizes her lack of concern about returning home, describing her leap into Wonderland not as a fall, but as a welcoming embrace from a long-lost friend. The novel aims to send Alice on a new adventure, exploring themes of self-discovery and the pursuit of dreams beyond societal expectations.