The Peasant's Dream (Fairy Tale Romance, #11)

by Melanie Dickerson

The duke's daughter, Adela, masquerades as a peasant for a small taste of freedom . . . until she falls in love with a commoner who has no idea who she really is. In this reverse reimagining of the Cinderella story, secrets and dangerous enemies threaten a fairy-tale romance.

Adela, daughter of the powerful Duke of Hagenheim, is rarely allowed outside the castle walls. Longing for freedom, one day she sneaks away to the market disguised as a peasant. There, she meets a handsome young woodcarver named Frederick.

Frederick is a poor farmer and the sole provider for his family, and he often has to defend his mother from his father’s drunken rages. He dreams of making a living carving beautiful images into wood, and he is thrilled when the Bishop of Hagenheim commissions him to carve new doors for the cathedral. As Frederick works on the project, he and Adela meet almost daily, and it doesn’t take long for them to fall in love. Even as their relationship grows, her true identity remains hidden from him, and he believes she is a commoner like him.

When disaster separates them, Adela and Frederick find themselves caught in the midst of deceptions far more dangerous than innocent disguises. As the powerful lords set against them proceed with their villainous plans, secrets emerge that put Frederick and Adela’s future at risk.

• Full-length, clean fairy-tale reimagining
• The final Hagenheim story; can be read as a stand-alone
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs
• Also by Melanie Dickerson: The Golden Braid, The Silent Songbird, and The Orphan’s Wish

• ISBN10: 0785228330
• ISBN13: 9780785228332
• Publish Date: 23 July 2020 (first published 7 July 2020)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 17 January 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Thomas Nelson Publishers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[phyllish]

3 1/2 stars

Frederick's woodcarvings seemed lovely! My husband once showed me a book with pictures of amazing carvings by Albrecht Dürer. I couldn't help but picture those as I read. I especially loved his interpretation of Biblical stories through his work and the stories they told.

I liked the way the friendship between Adela and Frederick was exactly that. A friendship. Theirs was no insta-love, though they were drawn to one another.

Frederick was a gentle giant of a man, who had grown up with an abusive father. His dreams of finding a living doing what he loved best, woodcarving, seemed so far away. I loved his protective nature towards his mother and even his sisters who were often less than kind.

There were a few things that detracted from the story. I felt that Adela was constantly talking about how no one could understand her because she was an artist - until Frederick. This might not have bugged me quite so much if it wasn't reiterated. Frederick's father was abusive. It did seem like the violence he enacted on Frederick and his mother was spoken of often - perhaps a little too much.

Overall, this was a good story with hints of spirituality.