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 … 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
more
Melanie Dickerson takes readers back to Hagenheim for her final installment in the Hagenheim series in this reverse re-telling of the Cinderella story.
Adela, youngest daughter of the Duke of Hagenheim, has been protected all of her life, due mostly to the abduction of her older sister before she was born. Rarely allowed to leave the castle walls, and never allowed to leave without at least two guards, Adela longs to mix with the “common people”. Longing for the freedom they experience on a daily basis, Adela dons her servant’s clothes and sneaks out to the market where she encounters Fredrick, and admires his woodcarvings.
Fredrick longs to carve and support his mother and sisters with his craft. Unfortunately, his drunk, abusive father keeps him on a very short leash, and beats him and his mother regularly to keep him afraid and in line. When his carvings come to the attention of the Bishop of Hagenheim, Fredrick is thrilled to be offered the job of carving new doors for the cathedral. The new job comes with a salary ample enough to support his mother and his sisters if they are willing to leave his father. His friendship with the lovely Adela gives him hope that he can also find love in this new life.
When a powerful man sees the marriage of his duke’s son to Adela going up in the smoke of her attraction to the peasant Fredrick, he throws Fredrick in the dungeon on a trumped-up charge. As Fredrick’s world collapses all around him, will his faith and Adela’s faith see them through. When secrets are revealed, will Adela’s father accept her final choice?
I always enjoy these fairy-tale re-tellings. It’s fun to mentally compare the characters in this re-imagining to the originals, and even the situations the characters find themselves in to the original storyline. It’s kind of fun that Cinderella is actually a Cinderfella, and that the peasant girl is actually a Duke’s daughter. Instead of a wicked stepmother, there is a wicked (step)father.
The Peasant’s Dream is a quick, easy read that would probably be suitable for young teens to adults. It’s clean, it’s sweet, it’s kinder than a lot of actual fairy tales. I can definitely recommend this!
I’m not a ya reader but when I first started reading this series I don’t even realize at first. I enjoyed the author’s writing and retellings that I’ve continued and enjoy escaping into the stories. I listened to this one in audio form and thought the narraror did well. This title is one of my favorites in the series. I really liked the H and thought he and the h complimented each other nicely. This was a fun retelling and had a good flow. There is one last sibling left at Haggenheim and I hope he gets a story.
Can they bridge the chasm between them?
It’s the end of an era. For around a decade now the Duke and Duchess of Hagenheim and their children have my companions nearly each year. I have eagerly anticipated each new Fairy Tale Romance and I almost hoped that I could just kind go on reading them happily ever after. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end and The Peasant’s Dream is just that for Melanie Dickerson’s amazing series set in medieval Germany (and England).
I will admit to some reluctance to start reading The Peasant’s Dream. Not because I expected to dislike it but because I just didn’t want to say goodbye to Melanie Dickerson’s wonderful characters. But, at last I decided on bravery and cracked open my gorgeous hardcover copy…
The Peasant’s Dream was a bit of a fun story to read. Frederick and Adela seem so young, says the girl who left the YA target age of this series well over a decade ago, and full of life and creativity. Sure, there is still plenty of Melanie Dickerson’s trademark danger and adventure, not to mention some very wicked villains, but light and love still win out and the characters do get their somewhat unexpected, at least by them, happily ever after.
Melanie Dickerson did a great job with this reverse Cinderella tale and in concluding her Fairy Tale Romance series with such a strong note. You won’t want to miss Adela and Frederick’s story in The Peasant’s Dream….
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
I have loved the Hagenheim series and was excited to read this last book. I enjoyed finally getting to read Adela’s story and the reverse Cinderlla plot was really fun. Not my favorite of the series but a satisfying conclusion to a wonderful fairytale series that every YA fan should read!
Melanie has crafted the perfect finale to one of my favorite series. I really enjoyed this story with a twist on the Cinderella story we all know and love. Frederick and Adela were fun characters that I really liked. The story was super good and I loved how Melanie wove all the threads together. I am sorry the series is done but this was a great way to say goodbye to these characters.
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!
Award-winning author Melanie Dickerson finishes her long-running young adult fairy tale retelling series with this reverse Cinderella story.
In The Peasant’s Dream, Adela, the Duke of Hagenheim’s youngest daughter, lives most of her life within the castle. She longs to prove herself as an artist and experience a taste of freedom beyond the castle walls. Disguised as a peasant, she explores the village and meets Frederick, a poor farmer who is also a talented woodcarver. They become friends, although Frederick is unaware of Adela’s parentage.
Hardworking Frederick has a kind heart, caring for others, protecting his mother and sisters from his father’s abuse, and humbly accepting the Bishop’s commission to carve the doors for the new cathedral. Adela is the youngest daughter, sheltered and spoiled, yet longing for more. Their shared interest in art lays the foundation for a friendship which develops into a romance. The path to true love is not smooth, and there are a few plot twists along the way, putting their happy ending at risk. Will they find a future together? Read The Peasant’s Dream and see!
As always, Dickerson delivers a well-written story with delightful characters, adventure, clean romance, and light faith elements in a medieval European setting. Familiar characters from Dickerson’s earlier books make an appearance in this book, to the delight of her readers.
Add The Peasant’s Dream to your reading list for teens, young adults, and those who are young at heart. Watch for her next series set in medieval England, coming in January 2021.
Disclaimer: Book reviews are my honest opinion of books I either purchased or received free of cost from the publishers, publicists, and/or authors.
This may be unpopular opinion, but sometimes it’s just time for a series to end. And with the eleventh book, Melanie Dickerson’s Hagenheim Series comes to a close.
Toted as a reverse Cinderella story, The Peasant’s Dream matches Cinderella in two ways. Frederick is a peasant who is while forced by his father to work and he has two stepsisters. When he meets Adela, he does not realize she is the daughter of a duke.
Dickerson made sure to include all of her previous characters in this one (mostly just Adela reminiscing about her siblings or thinking about their families now), which will please long-time fans but also maybe frustrate new readers.
The plot was predictable but had some high points. Adela and Frederick become fast friends, encouraging each other but can true friendship be born when one of the parties is hiding a secret? The romance between these two flows naturally into the story, though. Dickerson also tackles difficult topics like abuse, alcoholism, and more in this one.
While not my favorite in the series (the second half has been hit and miss for me), The Peasant’s Dream is a satisfying wrap-up.
Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
The Peasant’s Dream by Melanie Dickerson is the eleventh book in the series Hagenheim, which is a cross between historical fiction and fairytale retellings. Here we get the story of the youngest daughter of the duke of Hagenheim, Adela, and an aspiring woodcarver, Frederick. This gender bent retelling of Cinderella is an easy read, though tedious at times, and wholly predictable.
As the youngest daughter of the duke, Adela is pampered and sheltered from the world outside their castle. She is exactly what you’d expect from a duke’s daughter: accomplished in needlework and painting, well educated, and beautiful. The story opens with her being courted by a nobleman’s son, Lord Barthold. He isn’t at all what Adela pictured in a suitor. He is handsome and a bit reserved, but she feels none of the things her elder sisters and sisters-in-law described upon meeting their spouses. She wants more, and she fears this makes her “spoiled” as she has overheard the guards say about her. Adela, unfortunately, falls flat for me. She isn’t really fleshed out. As a result, it was hard to care for her, even if I liked the woodcarver she meets in the Marketplatz.
Frederick is the son of a farmer who dreams of being something more. His father is an abusive man, who takes all his anger out on his son. Frederick prefers this to the anger being directed at his mother or younger sisters. I respect him. He’s kind and gentle, yet extremely protective. When the opportunity comes for him to show his woodcarving work to the Bishop in Hagenheim, it is one he cannot pass up. When the bishop offers him a job carving the new doors to the cathedral, it feels like a dream he never could have dreamed for himself. Then he meets Adela and a new life, one he never dared hope for is within reach. Clearly you can tell which of the two I like better
As Adela and Frederick begin to meet in secret and a friendship blossoms into love, a whole other story plays out in the background. There is always something that tears the two apart: Adela not telling Frederick she’s the duke’s daughter, an attempted kidnapping while she is out with Lord Barthold, Frederick’s awful excuse for a man father, and well you get the picture. Despite the constant action, I really struggled staying focused on the story. The writing is good, the plot is okay, but I had zero connection with the main characters. I could not focus on their story or feel anything really about what happened to them as the plot progressed. While I received an arc from Netgalley, I did purchase the audiobook hoping that switching to listening would help, but it didn’t, and that is of no fault to the narrator. Jude Mason did breathe a little life into the story, and without her narration, I probably would have DNFed instead of finishing.
Overall, The Peasant’s Dream is neither a great story or a bad story. It’s just okay. It didn’t excite me or cause me to skip meals or stay up late reading. The Cinderella connection is tenuous at best, though you can see it in the mean father and the disparity between their social classes. For me, this was a 2.5 star read generously rounded up to three.
Here’s a unique twist on the Cinderella theme. Lady Adela, daughter of the duke of Hagenheim, sneaks from her family’s castle to visit the local market alone and meets Frederick, a woodcarver and son of a poor farmer who drinks his life away. The young people are drawn together, but each face troubles, and obstacles threaten to keep them apart. Of course, Adela is expected to marry a wealthy peer no matter whom her heart longs for. The story develops slowly in the first half, allowing readers time to experience and appreciate the historical setting and intriguing characters. The novel does ramp up and the pace and the tension increase as the tale unfolds, with plenty of excitement before the end occurs. I love the way characters from other books in the series are included and the ways their lives tie together. I’m sorry to see the series conclude. I received a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
“And love is much more important than wealth. If you have to live without wealth, you might have some difficulties, but living without love … that would be tragic indeed.”
Melanie Dickerson always writes captivating fairy tale retellings filled with adventure, complex plot with twists and turns, beautifully heroic characters, and gentle spiritual reminders. The Peasant’s Dream is a reverse Cinderella story but the villains are not necessarily related to the main characters. Frederick is a poor farmer’s son who has a gift at wood carving and desires nothing more than to use his gift. He is passionate, creative, loyal, loving, and humble. Adela is the youngest daughter of the Duke of Hagenheim who is a bit flighty and slightly spoiled (even in her own words) but compassionate and tender. She desires to travel outside of the castle to paint and explore and to find true love like her older siblings. Their providential meeting and subsequent adventure to fulfilling their calling and finding love is fraught with opposition, danger, and secrets. This is book 11 in the Hagenheim series but can be read as a stand-alone. There are snippets of Adela’s older siblings’ stories and their happily-ever-afters throughout the book which will satisfy the fans who have been following this series but will not confuse those readers who are new to the author’s books.
If you enjoy YA historical romance, especially medieval fairy tale retellings, you will absolutely adore this book. The entire series is incredible and highly recommended. I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
Wow! What an adventure! I loved returning back to Hagenheim to see what happens to the youngest daughter, Adela. Adela feels trapped in her pampered life at the castle. She longs to be seen as something more than the spoiled rich girl. I love her tender artistic heart. Frederick is an amazing man with an unrealized talent and a integrity that sets him above other men. The story started off kind of slow as we learned about the characters. The plot gains momentum after Frederick and Adela meet. Adela keeps her identity secret from Frederick initially which adds a twist to the story. Many other twists kept me engaged in the story. I recommend this book to those that love clean romance and wish their life could be different.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
The Peasant’s Dream ( Hagenheim #11 )
By: Melanie Dickerson
The Peasant’s Dream is book eleven and the final in Hagenheim series. The Peasant’s Dream is a reverse Cinderella story. A poor farmer’s son, Frederick, who has always dreamed of using his talent as a woodcarver. Then there is The Duke’s daughter, Adela, who is rarely let outside of the castle walls and longs for freedom. I felt so sorry for these two who longs for another life. I loved the story and the characters, both were well written. The author pens another fairy-tale for all ages, historical, adventure, and romance.
I Was given a complimentary copy of this book , but was told that a review was not required. All opinions are my own.
Adela just want to mingle in town, exploring without people recognizing her as the youngest of the Hagenheim girls. Frederick wishes to be away from the farm and his abusive father, bringing his mother and sisters with him someday. They meet by chance, and have an immediate connection due to both being interested in the arts. We meet Lord Barthold and his advisor, Lord Conrat and Frederick’s family, Basina, Stenngle, Ursala and Eulaly, and a few other townspeople from Hagenheim and Grundelsbach. An engaging story, with some upheaval and revelations throughout that keep the pages turning. The banter between the main characters, as well as some of the minor characters are fun as well. A lovely addition to this amazing family and series.
A complimentary copy was provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. A review was not required and all thoughts are my own.
The master of fairy tale retellings has done it again! The Peasant’s Dream is a reverse telling of Cinderella and focuses on Adela, the Duke of Hagenheim’s youngest daughter. I have followed this delightful series from the very first book and found bittersweet joy in reading the last one. The writing has remained consistent, although this storyline felt a little more rushed than others. The chemistry between Adela and Frederick was described, rather than felt, but sweet, nonetheless. Two side notes: while part of a series, can still be enjoyed as a standalone and although labeled as YA, can be enjoyed by all ages.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own and freely given.
A medieval romance
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.
Melanie Dickerson has crafted a wonderful family saga with the Hagenheim family. It was really neat to see different versions of popular fairy tales and seeing them come to life with the individuals from this one family. The Peasant’s Dream is Ardela’s story. She is a painter who wants to marry for love, but her family wants her to marry a kind hearted person, but he needs to have money. Not that her family is really pushing, but with the choices they offer her, it says different. I love the idea of the hero, Frederick, being the poor person who falls in love with wealthy. It was a nice difference. The plot is interesting, and I enjoyed every moment I spent back in Hagenheim. At the end, there was a family reunion. Familiar characters returned, even if only by name. I believe fans of Dickerson’s series will enjoy this novel too. I sure did.
I received a complimentary copy of The Peasant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
When a simple peasant steals Adela’s heart, is there a way they can make their relationship work? Can the daughter of a duke and a wood-carver find happiness together when they are from vastly different worlds?
Full of romance, danger, and a conniving advisor, The Peasant’s Dream is a fairytale reimagined that had me turning page after page as I was gripped by the story. The characters are well developed, and I enjoyed peeling back layer after layer as I got to know them better.
I want to go back and read previous books in the series now. I really enjoyed this book!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A duke’s daughter, Adela fights for the chance to fall in love with a worthy man of her own choosing.
The eleventh and final installment in the Hagenheim Saga, follows Adela the youngest daughter of the the Duke of Hagenheim, she is artistically gifted, with an eye for color and beauty. She meets a kindred spirit in the marketplatz, a talented woodcarver, Frederick. Though engaged in a courtship with a neighboring member of the nobility, she can’t help but be drawn to Frederick, who understands the way that she sees the world.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, wholesome story of sacrifice and friendship. I liked how Adela has learned from observing her family members, yet isn’t afraid to make her own way, and she’s alright if that doesn’t mean strapping on a sword or bow. She is thoughtful and kind, and I liked how her parents take time to listen to her and respect her judgements, while still being protective of her.
Frederick is a noble son, caring for his family, and working hard on his family’s farm. He does his best to protect his mother and sisters from their father’s drunken behaviour. I loved his strong moral compass, and his heart for putting others first. He is probably one of my favorite heroes in this series, because though humble of birth and situation, that didn’t matter, he still fought for what was right.
This was an engaging read, and I loved the strong themes of family and faith, along with well developed side characters and storylines, secrets and character development. I really appreciated this story, with a thoughtful heroine who stands up for herself but also doesn’t need to take up a weapon. Well written and a fitting conclusion to this memorable series–though I’m against Toby popping up somewhere in the future!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In The Peasant’s Dream, the last book in the Hagenheim series, Fredrick, a farmer, and Adela, a duke’s daughter, both long for more. Fredrick is a talented woodcarver whose farm-life doesn’t offer much opportunity to fulfill his dreams. Adela’s sequestered life revolves around finding a suitable marriage. However, one chance encounter changes both of their lives.
On the day that Adele sneaks out of the castle dressed in her maid’s clothes, she meets Fredrick selling his wares. As Fredrick and Adele fall in love, secrets, lies, and even more unsavory actions make them question all that they know about each other. Frederick learns that Adele is a duke’s daughter, and he is crushed by her lies. However, when an attempted kidnapping wrongfully implicates Frederick, and he is thrown in the dungeons, Frederick must now prove his innocence. Will the relationship between these two people from very different social circles survive? Is their love strong enough to weather the difficult problems they face?
Adele and Fredrick are likable characters from very different backgrounds who suffer from similar problems. They both long to be free from the constraints inflicted upon them by family and society. As the youngest daughter of a wealthy Duke, Adele is not allowed to leave the confines of her home without guards. Fredrick is so bogged down with farm work and protecting his mother and sisters from his drunk father that he rarely has time for his own pursuits. This desire to be free and to follow one’s own heart is what initially propels the plot.
Fredrick and Adele are also both undiscovered artists with an amazing amount of talent. I think this connection bonds them in a unique and interesting way, and I love how their relationship develops from their shared interest in art. It is very natural and progresses sweetly. That is until their mistruths and secrets are exposed. Then, they have to decide if their relationship is worth fighting for.
This is a well-paced and interesting if a bit predictable story with strong Christian undertones. Though this is the eleventh book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. That being said, readers of the series will love that a ton of the characters from the previous books make an appearance in this one!
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.