Her father, Peter, decides to send her to finishing school with the two mean sisters. At the wake, she is introduced to Dame Olga and her terrible daughters, Hattie and Olive. At her mother's funeral, Ella meets the kingdom's prince, Char, who expresses fondness for her mother.

She is given two gifts by Mandy: a necklace from her mother and a magic book. Her cook Mandy reveals herself to be her Fairy godmother. When Ella is around fourteen, her mother dies. When Ella was just a baby, the fairy Lucinda bestowed the gift of obedience on her. Levine stated that the film is 'so different from the book that it's hard to compare them' and suggested 'regarding the movie as a separate creative act'. The film received mostly mixed reviews, and was heavily criticized for its changes to the source material and addition of new characters.

It was directed by Tommy O'Haver and starred Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy as Ella and Prince Charmont, respectively. On April 9, 2004, a movie that is loosely based on the novel was released. In 2018, Levine published Ogre Enchanted, a prequel to Ella Enchanted. In 2006, Levine went on to write Fairest, a retelling of the story of Snow White, set in the same world as Ella Enchanted. The story is a retelling of Cinderella featuring various mythical creatures including fairies, elves, ogres, gnomes, and giants. Print (Hardcover, Paperback) and AudiobookĮlla Enchanted is a Newbery Honor book written by Gail Carson Levine and published in 1997.

Ella enchanted novel