East - by Edith Pattou

Appearance: dark hair, purple eyes

Talents: sewing and weaving

Story:

In this retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, the heroine has always been an adventurous spirit with the wanderlust. Though her family tells everyone that Rose is an East-born baby (known for their calm and gentle natures), she is actually North-born (known for their need to travel and see the world). Rose does not hesitate to go with the Bear and find out where he will take her, especially after learning the lie of her birth direction.
This novel contains a pleasant mixture of well-developed characters, nicely described settings, and rich emotion.

For those unfamiliar with the fairy tale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon tells the story of a young woman who is carried away from her home one night by a large white bear. The bear promises that if she goes with him, her family (which has come upon very hard times) will come into good health and prosperity.
The bear is actually a prince who has been cursed to remain a bear by day and himself as a young man by night. Since the girl is not told of this curse or how to break it, she inevitably breaks mishap upon them and must undertake a journey to find her prince in a land that lies east of the sun and west of the moon.