"The Princess Bellaheld" - A Book Review

In an age when Disney Princesses ranging from the classics such as "Snow White" and "Cinderella" to newer ones such as "Tiana" to "Merida" are incredibly popular and idolized by millions; in "The Princess Bellaheld" by Julie Sutter we are introduced to the true story of a real life princess who turns seventeen in AD 703. The daughter of Irish missionaries of the Culdean Church to the German principality of Thuringia, Bellaheld is nevertheless of noble stock on her father's side. But, she is rendered an orphan at a relatively young age when her father passes away when she is but very little, and her mother passes away on Easter in 703 AD.

The Culdean Church was an early Irish and Scottish Church that was largely responsible for Christianizing the heart of Western Europe. And for their missionary work they would send twelve families to establish a settlement called a Cenoby in a new region so that through their work they would spread the teachings of Christ to the nonbelievers around them. And in this book we are presented with Bellaheld as part of the Cenoby in the German principality of Thuringia that has the good fortune of being ruled by a Herzog who is tolerant of the Christian faith. As fate would have it, however, the Herzog passes away. And while his son, Hedan, bears no ill will towards the Christian faith when he assumes the throne, his mother, Geila, is adamantly opposed to Christianity. And Geila fiercely clings to the human sacrificing ways of the Norse mythological entities of Woden and Eor to the point where she plots how to bring about the demise of both Bellaheld and the Cenoby.

While in American literature the pulse-quickening, dashing, "love at first sight", and free- spirited hero is highly regarded, in British literature there is more of an emphasis on the stable

man with whom one is bound by duty. Written by Sutter who also wrote social treatises entitled "Britain's Hope" concerning the systemic over-working and under-feeding of women and

children in Britain and "Social Christianity At Work", this British mindset on literary love interests is evident throughout "The Princess Bellaheld". As while Bellaheld does meet the dashing and kindly Gisilhar and they both feel a mutual instant attraction towards one another, when prince Hedan gives her an offer of marry him or else he will destroy the Cenoby, Bellaheld feels duty bound to protect the Cenoby and accepts his offer. What then transpires is quite a tale of jealousy, battles, and plotting that reads somewhat like a chapter out of modern-day fantasy novels given the proclivity of fantasy novels to use Celtic or Germanic-like names for their protagonists.

Being a book that is republished by Generations, a publisher that tries to restore timeless Christian Classics for new generations, "The Princess Bellaheld" includes two prefaces: the original one by the author Julie Sutter and the modern day one by the editors Perry and Kimberly Coghlan. The original preface by Julie Sutter has a friendly and open tone

as she explains that much of the material for the book comes from Professor Ebrard of Erlangen. While the modern-day preface written by the Coghlan editors has a more resentful and angry tone coupled with a condemnation of feminism. Which, truthfully, in future reprintings is best left out altogether. However, to the credit of the editors, they have included a glossary of terms such as "Pellucid feldspar" and "Greaves" that is most helpful while reading the novel.

The first few chapters of "The Princess Bellaheld" are a bit didactic in nature with a lot of background history being presented. Thus, while it is listed as of appropriate reading age for

ages eight and up, it will appeal more to mature readers of all ages ten or twelve and up. As the story becomes quite engrossing after the somewhat bogged down first few chapters and we see Bellaheld's transition from a passive heroine to a more active one as she remains fully devoted to her Christian faith despite many tribulations. And at a hundred and forty pages long, "The Princess Bellaheld" is a historical fiction novel based on a true story that makes for a charming read for both the young and the young at heart.

Luisa Reyes is an attorney in Tuscaloosa with a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Judson, a master's degree in library science, and a law degree from Samford's Cumberland School of Law. She is also a piano instructor and vocalist.