Pages: 320

Publisher: Kensington

Published: October 31, 2017

Belle is an Amish retelling of the classic story of Beauty and the Beast and it lives up to its expectations.

Belle Beiler lives with her dad and two older sisters on their farm in Echo Creek. Her father is a dreamer who loves to invent things from new tools to outdoor grills. When an adventure to a neighboring town goes awry, he must tell his girls that he is broke and soon they will lose their farm. Their neighbor Adam, who is known as The Beast due to a horrific childhood accident, has offered to buy the farm. Belle hates to see her family have to uproot and move so she offers to be Adam’s housekeeper on one condition. He must let her family stay in the house. Does The Beast accept this offer or does he have a more permanent solution?

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories and I enjoy reading different takes on it. This was a clean read with many great messages. The message that spoke the most to me is towards the end when the bishop talks about “Just one speck of dust can blind an eye.” The sermon he gives makes the reader think about their own life and how they treat others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for an advanced copy in exchange for a review in my own words.

Sarah Price does a great job in retelling classics. Below is a list of her classic retelling works:
1. Second Chances (Jane Austen’s Persuasion)
2. Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility)
3. Mount Hope (Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park)
4. Belle (Beauty and the Beast)
5. Ella (Cinderella) – to be released