In this reverse reimagining of the Cinderella story, secrets and dangerous enemies threaten a fairy-tale romance.
Adela, daughter of the Duke of Hagenheim, is rarely allowed outside the castle walls. But one day, longing for freedom, she sneaks away to the market disguised as a peasant. There, she meets a handsome young woodcarver named Frederick.
Frederick, a poor farmer, is 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. Yet her true identity remains hidden from 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
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Sexual Content - 1/5
1/5
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Violence - 1/5
1/5
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Language - 0/5
0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
0/5
Summary
From: Rebecca Maney
Book Title: The Peasant's Dream
Book Author: Melanie Dickerson
What do you like about this book:
3.5 stars
"It was not Frederick who had done something wrong. It was she."
While pretending to be an ordinary Hagenheim peasant girl, Lady Adela, daughter of the Duke Hagenheim, meets an extraordinary young woodcarver at the local market. Extending the ruse, Adela and Frederick form an immediate bond through continued casual associations, for Adela is an aspiring artist and their shared sense of creativity sparks a connection that can hardly be ignored.
When Adela arranges for Frederick's family, his mother and sisters, to move within the city walls while he carves new doors for the town's cathedral, the impending fallout is disastrous for Frederick after her true identity is revealed. Meanwhile, her family's choice for a suitor leads to dire consequences for both of them. Can these two star crossed hearts ever become untangled?
An enjoyable reverse re-telling of a Cinderella story!