The Merchant's Daughter review

The Merchant’s Daughter

Melanie Dickerson

After the death of her merchant father, Annabel is left unloved by her irresponsible mother and brothers. Dedicated to working hard and serving God, where they lazy and feel owed somehow. As taxes come due to the Lord of the land, Annabel’s family is far behind and must sacrifice a servant to the Lord for 3 years. Annabel to escape her brother’s plans of an arranged marriage to old Baliff Tom, she decides to do her duty and serve the Lord Ranulf. Tom still pursues her and she if frightened as he insists she will marry him. 

Lord Ranulf was attacked by a wolf as a teen, trying to save a servant girl. Living forever with the wretched scars on his hand and face, he hides himself in his own sorrow and comes off as an angry ruler. 

Learning Annabel can read, Lord Ranulf asks her to read the Bible to him nightly. She is thrilled as her dream in life is to become a nun, basically to escape her family and to learn the word of God more. Annabel sees the transformation in Lord Ranulf as she reads the Holy Word to him, the gentle and kind person he was once. 

Taken from her love of Beauty and the Beast and set in 1300’s, this book is a beautiful version of the tale! I loved it and couldn’t put it down. I love stories where the Word of God is central and you can read the effect it has on the characters in the book. Annabel was a true heroine in giving to her family despite their sinfulness. I loved reading how Lord Ranulf was able to come out of his sorrow and grow into the person God had planned for him to be. 

Depicting the times of Lords and servants, Melanie Dickerson is able to show a time in history that is much different than the times we live in now, or is it? If we serve Christ he is our Lord and we are his humble servants, undeserving of the Grace He gives. I appreciate this theme in her work. 

I received a copy of this book for an honest review. You can get a copy for yourself from Amazon. 

Be sure to visit Melanie on her Facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000220838349