The Legacy by Caroline Bond
Published by Corvus
Publication Date: 1st April 2021
Genre: Womens Fiction
Book Description:
A death in the family rarely brings out the best in people - even the deceased.
Jonathan Coulter planned for his death meticulously, leaving nothing to chance. His will states that his three adult children must decide between them how to dispose of his estate. If they cannot come together over their inheritance, then they risk losing it.
But Liv, Noah and Chloe never agree on anything. And now, with only one weekend to overcome their rivalry, tensions begin to rise.
Why has Jonathan left the decision to them? And why has he made no mention of his new partner, Megan, or the children's mother, Eloise? If he wanted to teach them a lesson from beyond the grave, what is it? And can the siblings put their differences aside for long enough to learn it?
A powerful novel about love and loss, and what we truly pass on to our children.
Jonathan Coulter planned for his death meticulously, leaving nothing to chance. His will states that his three adult children must decide between them how to dispose of his estate. If they cannot come together over their inheritance, then they risk losing it.
But Liv, Noah and Chloe never agree on anything. And now, with only one weekend to overcome their rivalry, tensions begin to rise.
Why has Jonathan left the decision to them? And why has he made no mention of his new partner, Megan, or the children's mother, Eloise? If he wanted to teach them a lesson from beyond the grave, what is it? And can the siblings put their differences aside for long enough to learn it?
A powerful novel about love and loss, and what we truly pass on to our children.
My Thoughts:
The way people write their will and the way families react always intrigues me. I see it as the last thing in our life we can control - who gets what and the reasons why. The Legacy intrigued me right from the start as the deceased, Jonathan, has been dealt the cruel hand of suffering from Motor Neurone Disease not too long after having had an affair with Megan and divorced his wife. How do you make things fair for everyone when life hasn't been fair on you?
The story begins in the waiting area of the solicitor's office as the 3 sibings Liv, Noah and Chloe together with Jonathan's partner Megan convene to hear what Jonathan decided should happen to his estate. We get a general vibe of the relationship between them and the personalities of each sibling together with their attitude towards Megan as they sit and wait.
I was surprised that Jonathan's character dealt with things the way he did - we know his decision from the description of the book, however he came across throughout the novel as being quite a control freak so him leaving it for the children to decide seemed rather out of character.
Through discussions, arguments and revelations we come to understand more about each character. Each of them has their own 'baggage' to deal with in life, some of it based in the affair and subsequent divorce, some carried through from their childhoods, the remainder set in the present day of what life has thrown at them. The fact that the house holds so many memories for the family over such a long period doesn't seem to help - it's still Chloe's home after all. The arrival of Jonathan's ex-wife and Megan's nemesis Eloise is another situation for them to factor in. What are her thoughts and expectations in all this?
The author has balanced the sadness and grief of the siblings and other characters so well against the anger and shock that a loved one's passing brings, especially when it happens so suddenly. I found it to be a very honest and believable story and was pleased at how a potentially explosive scenario with Megan and the children's mother Eloise was handled.
I found The Legacy to be quite thought provoking and despite the story's subject material there is sufficient depth to the characters and activity going on that it never becomes overwhelmingly gloomy at any point. The setting near the beach in Scarborough sounds lovely too - an area I have never visited but am now curious to explore, perhaps a visit to the cafe that Megan and Eloise find themselves in. The cakes sound fabulous!
About the Author:
Caroline Bond was born at the seaside and still feels happiest when walking into a headwind with the prospect of fish and chips on the near horizon. She had a fulfilling career in research before becoming a writer.
Her debut, The Second Child, was inspired, in part, by her experiences working with, and raising, a disabled child. Her second, The Forgotten Sister, reflects her belief that our life chances are hugely impacted by our upbringings. Her third, One Split Second, explores guilt and forgiveness.
She is a slow, but tenacious runner and not a bad cook.
She prefers red to white wine.
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