Lady of Disguise
-
- £9.99
-
- £9.99
Publisher Description
Only the hidden treasure will allow Louisa and her sister to gain their freedom.
England, 1388: All her life, Louisa has dreamed of finding the rumored “Giant’s Treasure,” a collection of ancient, lost riches said to be hidden on a mountaintop in Scotland, guarded by a fierce monster. It’s a story her father used to tell her, and when he dies and she and her younger sister have to go live with their shiftless, greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find that treasure. It’s the hope that has kept her defying her uncle’s efforts to marry her off to the highest bidder.
After her uncle starts to parade Louisa’s twelve-year-old sister Margaret in front of potential husbands, Louisa realizes she has no time to waste. She disguises herself as a boy and takes off for Scotland. But the road is a harsher place than she’d imagined, and she is relieved to find a friend in the knight, Sir Charles, who goes along with her on her journey.
Charles is intrigued by this young woman who claims her name is “Jack” and is set on going to Scotland. He goes along, pretending to believe she is a boy, in order to make sure nothing bad happens to her. As they meet new friends along the road, and as Louisa comes clean about her identity, the pair find themselves falling in love. But what will happen when they reach Scotland? Will they find their independence and the freedom to marry in the form of a buried treasure, or will the monster from Louisa’s own past keep the young couple apart?
A delightfully charming reimagining of “Jack and the Beanstalk” from New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson.
Sweet historical medieval romancePart of the Dericott series: Book 1: Court of Swans; Book 2: Castle of Refuge; Book 3: Veil of Winter; Book 4: Fortress of Snow; Book 5: Cloak of Scarlet; Book 6: Lady of DisguiseBook length: 73,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 14th-century England, this lighthearted romance by Dickerson (The Warrior Maiden) centers the Chaucer-like plight of orphaned 18-year-old Louisa Lenton of Maydestone. Determined to keep her guardian and greedy uncle from marrying off both her and her younger sister, Louisa disguises herself as a boy named Jack and sets off seeking the Viking treasure that her father believed was hidden on a mountaintop in Yorkshire. Quickly realizing the dangers of traveling alone, incognito Louisa meets valiant (and handsome) Sir Charles, a knight who vows to accompany her on her quest. But with each passing day, Louisa questions having undertaken the journey in the first place, even as romantic feelings for her chivalrous escort grow. Though her vacillations between damsel in distress and fearless heroine are somewhat predictable, her compassion and grace immediately endear her to the reader, as well as to fairy tale gallant Sir Charles. Purple prose and plentiful religious allegory combined with steadily crescendoing romantic tension, easily vanquished dangers, and innumerable foes and red herrings results in an amiable love-conquers-all tale. Central characters present as white. Ages 13–up.
