"Lady of Disguise" by Melanie Dickerson is the sixth book in the "Dericott Tales” series but can easily be read as a standalone. It is a sweet, young adult “Jack and the Beanstalk” retelling. It’s set during the medieval period and takes place in England and Scotland. I loved getting to journey back to this time period and especially to visit Scotland with our main character, Louisa. Louisa is trying to find a fabled treasure to save her and her sister from marrying men they don’t love. She is kind and brave. She meets our chivalrous and equally kind hero, Sir Charles, along the way. Dickerson writes wholesome characters that readers can look up to. I love the disability representation of two different characters that Louisa and Charles befriend, showing how we can be kind to others who are different than ourselves. It was fascinating to see how people with disabilities were treated in that time period and how superstition played a role in things people couldn’t explain or saw as different from themselves. Dickerson has a good grasp on the medieval time period and I appreciate her attention to detail, making the reader feel they are there. I love how the main character prays and sees God’s provision throughout her journey. Some of the wonderful themes in this story are those of chivalry, kindness, not judging others, and being kind to those who are different from ourselves. I feel this series of Dickerson’s may appeal to late middle grade to early young adult readers. The plot seems to be written with the complexity of a late middle grade reader in mind. There is also romance and kissing, which is why I also mention the early young adult readers. I think many older readers will enjoy this story as well!
Content: I give this story a mostly PG rating. The thing that would make me lean a little more towards PG-13 is the references of the attempted sexual assault (which is not described and does not happen on page). Some examples of the content are: a mention of breasts; a brief mention that a man tried to force himself on a woman and was drunk, does not describe the incident; a woman is described as “well-proportioned;” a man mentions the possibility of beating a woman if she is found; the word “fornication” is used; there’s talk of being with child without being married; a man slaps a woman.
I want to thank Melanie Dickerson and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own.
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