Book excerpt: Triplet sisters are left in a forest by a woodcutter father and forced to find their own way in the world. From this fairytale beginning, three resolutions are made -- one sister walks one way to find purpose, one the other to find adventure, and the third stays right where she is, to create a home. Years later, having circled a globe and fought vikings, toppled lighthouses, tamed wilds and achieved greatness, the three meet again, as women.A moving and irresistibly charming modern-day fable for young and old, this is a story born first as a play, and staged by 33 companies in five countries and four languages.Praise for the play:'This Girl Laughs follows in the best tradition of fairytales through the ages - an engagingly told yarn for the children of today, with lessons for adults also' - Artshub'The most important thing is always the telling of the story - children demand imagination and clarity while adults deserve it. By that measure, and plenty of others beside, This Girl Laughs succeeds admirably' - The West Australian'Finegan Kruckemeyer just might be Australia's Tim Burton (the highest compliment I could ever pay anyone) and this is a story that has the potential to be timeless like some of Burton's masterpieces' - Colosoul'Somewhere between hilarious and human' - Luca (aged 9), Big Kids MagazinePraise for Kruckemeyer's other works:'Like a daydream born beneath a dining-room table' - The Irish Times'Like a beautiful children's book, a treasured bedtime story with illustrations which come to life before our eyes' - The Advertiser, Australia***** 'So achingly magical and charming, so full of whimsicality and merry eccentricity that when the reality begins to strike home... those with iron self-control will just swallow very hard. The rest of us will try to forage quietly for a hankie... A marvel of exquisite theatre-craft' - The Herald, Scotland'Not only works, it wows' - New York Post