The novel entitled Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister was written by Gregory Maguire and released on November 1 in the year 1999. It is a modern-day adaptation of the popular children's fairy tale entitled Cinderella.

The story of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is recounted through the eyes of Cinderella's ugly stepsisters, Iris, Ruth and Clara. It speaks of the ill-treatment of Cinderella by her wicked stepmother Margaret Fisher, her plain-faced younger daughter Iris, Iris's older sister Ruth (who is mentally challenged) and their stepsister Clara.

Iris flees England, goes to Harlem and becomes a painter. She later seeks an answer to the question whether Cinderella was forced into doing the household chores or whether she wilfully works as a maid in the house of her stepmother. She contemplates the conflict between beauty and ugliness.