Title: Princesses and Peas
Subtitle: A Christmas Love Story
Author: Terry Boucher
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 978-1-7960-3831-6
Pages: 58
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Reviewed by: Beth Adams

Read Book Review

Author Terry Boucher has taken the 1835 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, and updated it about a prince seeking his future princess in a beautifully adapted Christmas Love Story titled Princesses and Peas.

Beginning with a classic opening, “Once upon a time, but not too, too long ago, there lived a fine young gentleman named Kevin. Kevin’s father, Matthew, was the king of Athanasia, a small kingdom in the Northern Lands.” Noticing the inherent humor of the “but not too, too long ago,” sets the stage for the marvelous narration of the author, in which Boucher provides a relatable modern version of the theme of the story, which is as we know having a pea placed under a mattress will not allow a princess to sleep comfortably; becoming a test of being a true princess or an imposter.

Kevin is at the age in which it is time for him to search his kingdom for his bride who will become the next queen and live in the palace by his side. His mother, Queen Victoria, was busy preparing the palace for a Christmas party where many of the guests were invited to stay late, singing songs in the parlor after their feast, and then invited for the evening to use the many guest rooms within the palace. The queen had a plan to place a pea under the mattress of a pretty young lady to see if her sleep is uncomfortable, indicating she must be a true princess and worthy of her son’s hand in marriage.

Interleaved with beautiful illustrations of the characters, the palace and its lavish parties, the plot thickens when readers are brought into the emotions of Kevin, meeting by coincidence a lovely lady, Taryn, who shares his love of literature. However, he is being forced to direct his attention to Dorothy, the daughter of a local mayor. Events unfold with the elements of true love, deception, cunning motives of greed, and honest gratitude of the King and Queen for their kind dominion over their people. Kevin is obsessed with the way he felt when with Taryn, while feeling odd when with Dorothy. Dorothy was insensitive to Kevin’s appreciation of books and stories, and mocked him at times; like for instance when Kevin talked about the future where people could talk to other people over great distances using a hand-held device, Dorothy thought it was an insane idea.

In the end, Kevin tells Dorothy he doesn’t feel the love, and surprisingly Dorothy too realizes that Kevin is not right for her, and honestly reveals the trickery her father instructed for her, that being faking the sleepless night due to the pea under her mattress. That was an honorable and important moral thread into this story. And yes, true love finds a way to win out in the end, as Boucher quotes, “God works in mysterious ways.”

Boucher has scribed perfectly the polite dialogue between all of the characters in his story, illustrating the pomp and circumstances, etiquette and mannerisms of the elite society and monarchy in the days of old (but not too, too old). The author embeds a generous praise for the Lord with references to Biblical scriptures, prayers and songs, especially prevalent during the Christmas season.

Princesses and Peas: A Christmas Love Story is a perfectly told tale with a window into the past, yet with timeless values and principles which are so very important to instill within our children. Having a bit of adventure, a healthy look into the past lifestyles of kingdoms, and embellished with Christian values, this book is a wonderful gift to families to share with their own generations of “princes and princesses.”