Title: My Daughter’s Legacy (Cousins of the Dove #3)
Author: Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould
Pages: 400
Release Date: July 1, 2017
Genre: Historical / Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Format: Paperback (also available in eBook)
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.
About the book:
Women of Unfailing Conviction
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.
From the Christy Award-winning team of Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould comes a thrilling tale of two women longing to follow God’s leading, makes the most of second chances, and find true love at last.
My review:
An incredible conclusion to a fantastic series!
This is part of a “true” series. To understand the contemporary story you have to read the series in order.
This book has dual time periods. Part of the story is set in 1864 Virginia. The other part is contemporary. I really like how the authors weave the stories in such a way that you flow back and forth between them smoothly.
I absolutely love the characters in this wonderful book! There is an amazing depth to them that really captured my interest. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the progression of life for the contemporary characters. Nicole shows remarkable growth since the last book.
In the historical story we are shown in great detail what life was like in Richmond, Virginia near the end of the Civil War. The constant struggle to get the food and other supples that were needed comes to life. It amazed me to read about how simple people developed courage and strength to keep on living and doing all that they could to live as they believed God wanted them to.
It was wonderful to see the four cousins come back together in the contemporary story. They worked together to sort out the details from the traumatic experience that they shared as children. Each one had grown and developed their own talents. All of their strengths had an opportunity to shine as they contributed to the final solution.
As with each of the previous books in this series I’m giving this amazing book a rating of 5 stars and highly recommending it.
To wrap up this series I want to share some thoughts about the series as a whole. I connected so strongly with all of the Talbot family in each of the three books. The family heritage is so deep and beautifully presented. A part of me wishes that I were a Talbot. I would love to have all of these details about my family’s history available to me.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the different avenues of archiving the family story that were employed throughout this series. The fact that the family had a journal from the 1600s, letters from the 1700s and a well versed family historian who knew the stories from the Civil War to share was remarkable. The way that the authors were able to weave the historical storylines in with the contemporary was marvelous.
The ongoing mystery that carried over throughout the whole series was incredible. In each book a different present-day cousin was front and center with their personal interests and talents. The fact that each of them was able to move the mystery along and provide clues was great.
I would suggest that everyone who enjoys a well crafted story read this entire series.
Here are the links to my reviews for the first two books:
My Brother’s Crown - book one
My Sister’s Prayer - book two
Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
