disclosure: we were sent the item mentioned for the purpose of review
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the latest Caroline Bond novel and The Legacy hasn’t disappointed me. Published in April through Corvus, this is another cracking read.
Jonathan Coulter is dying, he has motor neurone disease and he decides that he wants to put all of his affairs in order before he goes. He lives with Megan, who his family still see as the other woman, has three adult children, and an ex-wife. When his children Liv, Noah and Chloe join Megan for the reading of his will, nothing is as they thought it would be. His will places his three children as executors and leaves it to them to decide how to dispose of his estate and that his funeral should not proceed until they have come to a mutual decision. The only decision which has been taken out of their hands is a bequest to Jonathan’s nurse of £5,000.
As with so many sibling relationships, the three characters rarely ever agree on anything and they are in very different places in their lives, with different needs and priorities. Should they just split everything three ways? Should they include their mother and what should they do about Megan?
They decide to meet up at their childhood home, where Megan had been living with their father so fight it out over one weekend. Whilst they are dealing with their own grief they really haven’t considered Megan and her feelings at all. And then their mother arrives. It’s the first time she’s been back in her home since uncovering her husband’s affair and the resulting destruction of her marriage. She’s never faced the woman who won her husband.
The Legacy weaves in the backstories for each of the characters whilst showing you how they strive to find a solution that’s right and just for everyone. There are twists and turns as each character faces their own demons to learn the lessons that Jonathan has been trying to teach them. Unusual allies are made in this beautifully written novel that is a compelling read.
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