Publisher: 15th October 2020 by Harlequin Australia, HQ Fiction & MIRA
Pages: 480 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary
My Rating: 4 crowns
Synopsis:
A toxic will plays havoc in the lives of three generations of women when they discover they have been living a lie. A keenly observed story of the danger of secrets, the legacy of betrayal and the power of family from a bestselling Australian author.
Sometimes an ending is really a beginning ...
Felicity Lewis's fiftieth birthday party in her newly renovated home, loving husband and daughter Greta by her side, is going off with a bang when disaster strikes. Her father, Franklyn, with his usual impeccable timing, has keeled over and died.
For some members of the family, his wife Hazel for example, Franklyn's death is not the great loss it first appears to be. But when his toxic and inexplicable will is read out, it becomes clear that long-buried secrets are about to surface, starting with the astonishing reappearance of Hazel's long-lost sister.
Indeed, Franklyn's death sets in motion a chain of events that will cause three generations of Gifford family women to question everything they hold dear - their relationships, their loyalties, even their identities. Until, that is, they choose to fight back against their dark inheritance ...
A clever, sympathetic and thought-provoking look at how a legacy of lies can seep through the generations and poison all it touches, and how the truth can set you free.
My Thoughts
The Family Inheritance is the latest offering from Aussie favourite Tricia Stringer. Tricia's talent extends across a range of genres from historical through to contemporary and her readers are always guaranteed some wonderful escapism. On this occasion Tricia gives us a multi generational, heartbreaking family drama - from Hazel in her 70s, her daughter Felicity celebrating her 50th, to Greta the 20 something granddaughter. So, already you can see, there is sure to be something for everybody to relate to.
‘There was comfort in them all being together.’
Tricia consistently delivers drama that is always engaging and leaves the reader wondering what they would do in such circumstances. The women, of this particular family, find their world turned upside down after the grandfather, Franklyn, passes away and leaves a most contentious will. This certainly opens a can of proverbial worms that brings into play the varied personality traits of both the women and men of this family. Can they rise above and see this as an opportunity to reevaluate their lives or will it destroy their family? Secrets and lies abound aplenty.
“Your anger that day was greater than your fear and it propelled you forward. Make your love greater than your hate.”
One thing to appreciate is the light Tricia shines on issues such as inheritance and wills, cystic fibrosis and anxiety issues. Both through certain characters' stories and in her endnotes, Tricia draws attention to what it might feel like and where people could find help for these range of topical issues.
This book is cleverly crafted around the passing of the controlling patriarch and the fallout when, from the grave, he attempts to cause division and devastation. With a family laden in secrets, readers are sure to be engaged to discover life changing results.
‘Four women across three generations, two of them sisters, but all connected by the tangle of often tenuous threads that made up their family and a past that .. threatened ... to destroy them.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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