Friday, July 28, 2017

Review: My Daughter's Legacy by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

About the book:

A thrilling tale of two women longing to follow God's leading, make the most of second chances, and find true love at last
Virginia, 1864

Therese Jennings cannot abide the thought of owning slaves. When her widowed mother inherits a plantation, Therese flees to Civil War Richmond, where she works as a governess by day and tends to wounded soldiers at night. But when trouble befalls her family, can she reconcile her obligations with her beliefs? And will love-whether with an old beau or a handsome new suitor-ever fit in her broken world?

Virginia, present day
Nicole Talbot's life is back on track after years of substance abuse. Home from college for the summer, she's finally ready to share a shocking secret, one that raises new questions about a traumatic childhood experience. But when facts she uncovers cast doubt on her family's legacy, she must risk all that she's gained-her fresh start, her family's trust, and her growing relationship with a new man-to unlock the secrets of the past.


My Thoughts:

What an impressive dual timeline My Daughter’s Legacy was. Written by two authors I was taken back to about three years into the Civil War and I received Therese Jennings story. She was against slavery but still loved the South, in which she was raised, and did not want to see her state of Virginia lose its power. Looking forward to meeting her long time secret love, Michael Talbot, she becomes disappointed in him and the way his views seemed to have turned. Adding to that she has met his very handsome cousin, Alec Talbot, a doctor and Quaker from the North who has come to the South to help the wounded soldiers. The historical aspect of this story was riveting and I liked how the authors showed how difficult it would live in that very turbulent time with differing views yet unwilling to fight against family, friends, and neighbors.

In the contemporary timeline we see through the eyes of Nicole Talbot’s life. She is a recovering addict and has decided to expose a secret about her family that has weighed on her since she was six years old. When she tells all she knows we are then given information about a murder and a crime scandal that took place some twenty years ago.

Both timelines were complete stories in and of themselves. Putting them together with connections to the same family, showing how both present and past heroines must deal with what life throws at them: old loves, new loves, spies, counterfeiting, and murder. I enjoyed the back and forth between the timelines and stories and appreciated the extra art that was included with the heroine’s name to put us in the right mood for the time and story of that chapter. Sometimes the past seems so distant and the problems not like today. Even though the dates were different, across time and place we are all still human, with hearts and dreams and sometimes very complicated lives to live. Both the past and the present came alive for me in this story.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel through Litfuse. I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.

About the authors:

Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of more than 20 books, both fiction and nonfiction, with over a million copies sold. Mindy and her husband, John, have two adult children and live in Pennsylvania.
Find out more about Mindy Starns at http://mindystarnsclark.com

Leslie Gould, a former magazine editor, is the author of numerous novels, including "Beyond the Blue" and "Garden of Dreams." She received her master of fine arts degree from Portland State University and lives in Oregon with her husband, Peter, and their four children.

Find out more about Leslie at http://www.lesliegould.com/.

What others are saying: http://litfusegroup.com/author/ClarkGould

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