Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Book Review: The Merchant's Daughter

The Merchant's Daughter. Melanie Dickerson. 2011. Zondervan. 285 pages.

Annabel sat in the kitchen shelling peas into a kettle at her feet.

I loved this one. I just LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. It was just a perfect, perfect fit for me. It's a Christian fairy tale retelling!!! Of my most FAVORITE fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. It's set in England in the 1350s. And it was such a sweet, delightful read. I really don't know how it could have been any better!!!

Annabel's family owes a debt--a large debt--to the lord of the village. While her brothers hope to marry Annabel off to Bailiff Tom (boo, hiss), Annabel dreams of becoming a nun and reading Scripture for herself. (Yes, she knows Latin. Yes, she can read.) Her brothers hope is that Annabel's husband would pay off the family's debt and enable them to keep their home. But Annabel knows there is another way to pay that debt, to enter the lord's service as an indentured servant, to serve her three years without grumbling or complaining. If Annabel was of the complaining sort, she would have much to say. For her two older brothers are the ones refusing to work. They are unwilling to do anything at all--except arrange unwanted marriages--to help the family.

The newly-arrived lord (Lord le Wyse) is an intimidating figure to be sure. He has many, many scars on his face. And his hand is disfigured. He's rumored to be quite beastly--in his temper. But after a few days in his service, Annabel sees him with different eyes. She sees someone brave and honorable and heroic. She sees that he is far from cursed, far from a monster.

Readers get this story from Annabel's point of view and Ranulf's point of view. And it was so great to get this story from 'the beast's' perspective!!! It made a good story, great.

There are many, many, many things that brings these two together. But one of the main things, perhaps, is his desire to be read to. He is thrilled to learn that one of his servants can read Latin for he has a Bible and a great desire to learn from it.

Read The Merchant's Daughter
  • If you're a fan of Beauty and the Beast
  • If you're a fan of fairy tale retellings
  • If you're a fan of historical fiction
  • If you're a fan of historical romances
  • If you're looking for good, clean YA reads 


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

1 comment:

Rina said...

I agree! Loved this book. And her other book Healer's Apprentice is also great. I'm so glad I found your blog last fall. Most books you've reviewed I've read and loved, are on my to read list, or will be added to said list after reading your review. :-)