The Golden Braid By Melanie Dickerson

In the Golden Braid, the one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower.

About The Golden Braid

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.

Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again–this time, to the large city of Hagenheim.

The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight–Sir Gerek–Rapunzel, in turn, rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to him than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?

As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery are about to be revealed after seventeen years. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?

My Thoughts

A modern, mature twist on a childhood fairy tale that both young adults and adults alike will enjoy.

The beginning of the novel was slower but as we get about a third of the way through the novel, I could not put the book down! It was such an interesting perspective of the Rapunzel fairy tale. We have this strong, fierce young lady who can paint, sing and throw a knife as well as any other boy in her village. But she also defers to her mother’s demands and restrictions, which include never showing her hair (which we find out the reasoning behind this near the end of the story) and to never trust a man.

It was beautiful to watch Rapunzel’s story unfold in such a unique manner and to watch her grow into an independent young lady who embraces the unknown. Thrown in the romance with a knight who tries so hard to deny his feelings and you have a story you will not want to put down! I definitely know I couldn’t.

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Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer’s Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.