🎀📓🏰 “The Legacy of Longdale Manor” (2023) 🏰 📓🎀 – Book Review

 

MY REVIEW 

 

Paperback: 352 Pages
Publisher: Bethany House (September 26, 2023)
Language: English
ISBN 10: 0764241052
ISBN-13: 978-0764241055
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information 

 

“Two women--a century apart--embark on a journey to healing, faith, forgiveness, and romance.
 
 In 2012, art historian Gwen Morris travels to England's Lake District to appraise the paintings and antiques of an old family friend, hoping to prove herself to her prestigious grandfather. While at Longdale Manor, she meets David Bradford--the owner's handsome grandson--who is desperate to save the crumbling estate by turning it into a luxury hotel. When Gwen stumbles upon a one-hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd's staff similar to one in a photo of her parents, she's left searching for answers.
 
 In 1912, after her father's death, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret she can only confess to her journal. She and her family travel to the Lake District to stay on a sheep farm, hoping eventually to find a home with Charlotte's grandfather at Longdale Manor, but old wounds and bitter regrets make it a difficult challenge. As Charlotte grows closer to shepherd Ian Storey and rebuilds her shattered faith, she must decide whether she will ever trust in love again.” 

 

Thank you in advance to the publisher, Bethany House (a division of Baker Books), for providing a complimentary review copy. A positive review was not required, and all words are my own. 

Despite having seen some of her work, most notably her McAllister Family Series (No Ocean too Wide, No Journey too Far) – which I’d LOVE to read – this is the first novel by the author that I’ve read.

 

I was drawn to the dual-time story (as well as the beautiful cover). 

 

I always enjoy the past/present connections. It is interesting to reflect on the past where no one knows what impact their decision or action will have, how long the impact lasts, and how many people are affected. Those are things I like to look at when reading. 

 

Sometimes a dual-time story can be hard to read or even review. I have to admit, Turansky does a wonderful job with the connections and the transition between the timelines. She also does a wonderful job of bringing Longdale to life in both times.  

 

Set in 2012 and 1912, a 100-years apart, the manor becomes a gateway to the past.

 

In 2012, Turansky introduces readers to: 

 

🖼️ Gwen (junior specialist at her grandfather’s firm) 

🏰 Lilly (current resident and owner of Longdale Manor)

⚒️ David (Lilly’s grandson)

 

In 1912, readers get to meet:

 

📖 Charlotte (daughter of Henry)

👩🏻 Rose (Charlotte, Alice, and Daniel’s mother)

👩🏻 Jenny (friend of Rose)

👧🏻 Alice (Charlotte’s 12-year-old sister)

🎓 Daniel (Charlotte’s 18-year-old brother, student at Oxford)

🐑 Ian (Jenny’s son, former student at Oxford)

👒 Milly (Ian’s sister)

 

Despite the numerous characters, there are only four (4) POVs – Charlotte and Ian (1912), along with Gwen and David (2012). 

 

Even though a book may be considered clean or Christian, there is often “content” that can act as a trigger to some readers based on their own experiences. 

 

As such, it is worth noting that this book has mentions of alcoholism, death from cancer, a divorce, as well as a strong inference of infidelity. These might be problematic for some readers. 

 

The story begins in 2012 with Gwen being sent, after a mishap, to Longdale Manor to evaluate art and antiques as Lilly Benderly is a friend of Gwen’s grandfather. Her grandfather, Lionel, is not too forgiving of her rookie mistake – undervaluing a painting. So, he is insistent she do a good job this time around.

 

Lilly’s grandson, David, is looking to turn the estate into a luxury hotel (not a bed & breakfast). However, Lilly will continue to remain there for the rest of her days as she is 84. As a result of David’s plan – some things will be sold with the proceeds from financing the needed renovations and repairs. Gwen is also hoping to find some answers about her father as well since her parents were married in the area. All she has is her deceased mother’s name and a picture. Of course, her grandfather wants her to focus only on work, and leave the past alone. 

 

When Gwen arrives, Lilly shows Gwen what is to be sold. Turns out there are more pieces than Gwen anticipated. And, Daniel is stunned by the length of time it will take.

 

Lilly loans Charlotte’s diary to Gwen to peruse, hoping to provide some historical context about Longdale. Gwen, through reading the diary, takes readers back to Charlotte’s life. 

 

In 1912 – Charlotte’s father, Henry, is a keynote speaker in a movement. It is during a speaking engagement when he collapses. He apologizes shortly before dying, though Charlotte can’t understand why. 

 

She soon learns that her father left her mother, her sister, and herself destitute. And in packing up to sell the house, Charlotte makes a stunning discovery. One that exposes a secret about her father, and changes the way she feels about him and views him. It shatters her faith. To protect her mother, sister, and brother – Charlotte elects to hold the secret and destroys the evidence. The three Harper ladies end up staying with the Storey family where she meets Ian and his sister Milly. And, it is Milly who gives Charlotte the journal, which ends up helping Charlotte. 

 

Because of a bummer (rejected lamb), Charlotte and Ian become close. She learns that Ian is there because his grandfather died and the family needed help. Ian, like Daniel, attended Oxford. Though, Ian majored in archeology.

 

Rose tries to reconnect with her father, hoping to reside at Longdale, however his animosity towards Henry drives her away.  

 

Charlotte grapples with her faith and the truth about her father, eventually revealing it to Ian. He is there for her as a friend, though they both feel a bit more than friendship. 

 

Ian and Charlotte grow closer, but as her grandfather comes to realize, Satan wants to keep people apart and destroy relationships. 

 

In 2012, Gwen is feeling pressured by both her grandfather and David. David’s pressure comes from needing the proceeds of the sale to continue with the repairs and renovations. David and Gwen also clash over the preservation of Longdale. Gwen wonders if he is only preserving the façade, or honoring and preserving the history. Is he doing it for his benefit, or his grandmother. 

The two eventually call a truce and “restart” after a few apologies. David admits he has a hard time accepting criticism. 

 

After meeting someone with a staff featured in her parents’ picture, David helps her track down her father. Though it won’t be easy. 

 

Between cataloguing the antiques and art to go up for auction, as well as searching for her father, Gwen and David become close – much like Charlotte and Ian did. 

 

While reading the diary, Gwen sees the young woman’s shattered faith slowly healing through her friendship with Ian. Each discovering that while Earthly fathers can disappoint and let their children down, their heavenly father (God) is always faithful. 

 

Initially, I was drawn right in and it held my attention for a while. I enjoyed the UK terms (mum, lift, lorry) which added some authenticity for me. The spelling was mostly American grammar though. Given that this book is tailored more for a U.S audience, that is understandable. 

 

For me, it seemed to lag a bit with the art and antiques storylines. In addition, the storyline about the renovations and David’s plans for Longdale did not grab me. I’ll admit, I am not that familiar with art or renovations, so that was likely more on my part than the author’s. I was far more invested in Charlotte’s storyline, and of course, I wanted Gwen to find her father. I wanted to know the true “legacy” of Longdale Manor. 

 

What I found interesting was that in both time periods, Charlotte and Gwen had to deal with maternal grandfathers (their mothers’ fathers) who had issues with the girls’ fathers. It was an interesting and unique parallel. 

 

I didn’t like either grandfather, even with their so-called “redemption” arcs (slight spoiler). I have NEVER believed in holding children (regardless of their age) accountable for either of their parents’ actions or views, especially seeing this in my own family for generations (as in 3x great and back). The child is truly NOT in control of their parents. 

 

This isn’t a romance novel per se, so readers expecting all the feels of a cozy romance might be slightly disappointed. Though there is some “courting” between Charlotte/Ian and Gwen/David. The “romances” are more of a background element and thus quite the “slow” burn. They’re hinted at being concluded by the end of the respective stories since this appears to be a standalone read.

 

While there wasn’t a lot of humor, given the tone of the story, I had to laugh when David told his grandmother she had bats. I felt it was a light-hearted way of breaking into the story. It just hit me at an odd moment. 

 

Another thing I liked was a slight “similarity” to Sense & Sensibility. Like the movie (1995), the youngest sister (in this book, Alice, 12) was fond of their father’s atlas and got to keep it.  

 

There were some elements of the story that remained unresolved. These were mostly characters in the 1912 timeline – Daniel, Rose, Alice, and Milly. 

 

This is one of those long, emotional, and stirring reads that reinforces faith in God, and highlights forgiveness. It also examines the effect of betrayal and its lasting impact in one’s personal life. There is also the burden of holding on to secrets that can cause someone to misjudge those around them. 

 

I was glad I read this due to the themes, and I am still going to put the McAllister Series duo on my TBR – or rather wish list. 

 

Those who appreciate art and history will no doubt enjoy this read. 

 

 

 

 

RATING:  

 

4 (3.8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads  

  

4 (3.8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub  

 

4 (3.8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html; update: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html) 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

       

   

Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of twenty-one inspirational novels and novellas and a winner of the Carol Award, the International Digital Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She loves traveling to England to research her Edwardian novels, including No Journey Too Far, No Ocean Too Wide, Across the Blue, and the Edwardian Brides series. Her novels have been translated into several languages and have received starred reviews from Christianbook.com and Library Journal. Learn more at www.carrieturansky.com. 

 

 

She can be found on the following social media accounts: 

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcarrieturansky 

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrieturansky/  

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carrieturansky/   

 

 

 

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links. 

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🎉#Giveaway 🎉 – (1) winner will a print copy of the book and a $15 Amazon gift card!

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