Yes, I judge a book by its cover. What can I say? I’m a visual person. A well done cover appeals to me. It says, “pick me up and read me.” When I first saw the cover for The Healer’s Apprentice, I was intrigued. When I read it was a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale (one of my favorite fairytales), I knew I had to read it.

The main character, Rose is the adopted daughter of a woodcutter who is apprenticed to the local healer to learn a trade. Of course, as the story goes, she catches the eye of Duke Hamlin who is engaged to a mysterious noble woman that no one has ever met. And… well, you guys know the story, right?

Here is what I liked about this particular retelling of Sleeping Beauty: Melanie Dickerson places it in a real place during a real time, namely medieval Germany. The architecture, the food, the customs are real. Also, there is no magic. No three good fairies, no Maleficent, no naps for everyone until loves true kiss shows up. It’s a “what if” Sleeping Beauty were a true story.

I enjoyed reading this kind of “what if” take on this fairytale. It is a well-written, sweet, innocent, clean read. For anyone who enjoys fairytales, or is just looking for a good read this summer, I highly recommend The Healer’s Apprentice.

For more about the author Melanie Dickerson, go to www.melaniedickerson.com