Castle of refuge

Living under the thumb of her dismissive father and cruel sister, Audrey yearns for love and purpose, though ashamed of the facial scars she keeps hidden. As her sister's threats become increasingly malicious and Audrey's father arranges for her to marry a man twice her age, she desperately flees home and, after narrowly surviving starvation and illness, finds a safe haven at Dericott Castle. She discovers joy in her work at Dericott, along with a growing affection for the castle's lord, Edwin. But vindictive schemes threaten her newfound freedom, and Audrey must find the strength to fight for her happiness. This second volume in best-seller Dickerson's Dericott Tales series follows two narrators who overcome self-doubt in accepting their physical differences and gain the confidence to love while finding solace in their Christianity. While the characters seem flat and the plot devices verge on repetitive, Dickerson writes a well-developed and wholesome romance between pleasant characters whose happy ending readers will easily root for.

Gr 7 Up--Audrey, the daughter of a viscount in 1300s Britain, dreams of a life where she can have a true purpose. More than that, though, she wants to be free of her older sister Maris's cruelty. All their lives, Maris has tormented Audrey, but the situation becomes more serious when the girls come of marriageable age. Maris, who is jealous of Audrey's prospects, purposely trips her sister so that Audrey falls into a fire and burns her face. Four years later, Audrey runs away from home rather than live with Maris, who is set to return from time spent at a convent. She finds refuge at Dericott Castle, which happens to be the home of the lord of the castle, to whom she was once intended for marriage. Lord Dericott has also had his chances for a good marriage damaged in the time that has passed, as his family was embroiled in a scandal and he lost an arm in battle. The two grow close during Audrey's time at Dericott Castle and eventually a romance blooms, until Maris reappears and threatens her sister's happiness once again. The main character and her love interest both engage in a fair amount of negative self-talk about their physical differences throughout the story. The villain, Maris, is described as "addled" and "crazed" which implies a mental illness and reinforces stereotypes of disabled people as being self-hating or villains. Characters are cued as white. VERDICT A sweet, if flawed, romance with an era-appropriate Christian perspective.--Mindy Rhiger, Hennepin County Lib., MN

Audrey thinks Edwin, the young squire her father's chosen for her future husband, is attractive--but she has to contend with her evil older sister, Maris. Maris, who is filled with jealousy and rage, deliberately trips Audrey, pitching her into the fire and leaving her with disfiguring facial scars, thus ending the possibility of a high-status marriage. Maris is sent away to a convent, but four years later, the convent makes her leave, and she returns home angry and filled with resentment. Her father betroths Audrey to a much older man, and, still dreaming of a love match and unable to cope with the double threats ofdangerouslyvindictive Maris and a marriage prospect she despises, she flees. Luckily--and most conveniently--she falls desperately ill just outside Edwin's castle. Sadly, he's lost an arm in a battle, so he's no longer the highly desirable bachelor he once was--except to Audrey. After he discovers her true identity, each gradually reveals their admirable and gentle characters and their shared faith in God. Although sometimes overinclined to tell rather than show, Dickerson does a nice job of evoking late-14th-century England and has succeeded in crafting a pair of engaging--if sugary-sweet--characters that romance readers will enjoy following. The Christian flavor of the story feels natural and appropriate to the time period. The cast defaults to White. A charming period romance. (Historical romance. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.