A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy is a junior novel, considered canon, penned by Alexandra Bracken. The cover art is by Khoa Ho, while the interior illustrations are by Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston. This book provides a fresh version of the movie Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, and its initial release by Disney–Lucasfilm Press occurred on September 22, 2015. It was also available as an audiobook narrated by Marc Thompson and Rebecca Soler, alongside the printed version.
"The galaxy is engulfed in conflict.
_Despite the Rebel Alliance's victories against the Empire, optimism is waning. The Empire is nearing completion of the Death Star, the most formidable weapon ever created. The rebels' last hope rests on a princess, a scoundrel, and a farm boy. . . . _
Alexandra Bracken, a bestselling author recognized by the New York Times, presents a compelling adaptation of Star Wars: A New Hope like never before. Since the original film's debut, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker have become legendary figures. The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy delves into the stories of these three heroes as they unite to combat the evil threatening their galaxy."
Alexandra Bracken ultimately wrote the book; however, R.J. Palacio was initially chosen to be the author, but she had to step down due to scheduling issues.
For a period of months, the title was promoted with the subtitle "Being the Story of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and the Rise of the Rebellion," but this subtitle was removed from listings shortly after the announcement that Alexandra Bracken would be taking over as author. The release date was subsequently moved from June 23, 2015 to September 22, 2015.
Disney unveiled the cover illustrations for the books in the series on June 5, 2015.
Some of the content in the title is derived from the radio dramatization of A New Hope.
There are inconsistencies within the The Farm Boy section regarding the time frame of events. In some instances, Luke reflects that he had only known Obi-Wan for one day or that his family was lost just before meeting Leia. In other instances, it seems like a few days have passed.
The book suggests that Han Solo was no more than a decade older than Luke Skywalker. Given Luke's birth year of 19 BBY, this would place Han's birth around 29 BBY. However, this is contradicted by information in Solo: A Star Wars Story The Official Guide, which states that Solo was born around 32 BBY.
- ISBN 9781484709122 ; September 22 , 2015 ; Disney–Lucasfilm Press ; US hardcover [1]
- ISBN 9781368027519 ; March 19 , 2019 ; Disney–Lucasfilm Press; US paperback [2]