The Inheritance by Joann Ross: Book Review
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The Inheritance is a multi-generational dual-timeframe family saga complete with family secrets and rivalries and everything you might expect from a novel titled The Inheritance. Just the kind of book to escape with on a quiet weekend of reading.
Any book title that includes the phrase “The Inheritance” spells family mysteries and secrets to me.
So the title was the first thing that attracted me to this book. Along with the book cover image, which was reminiscent of a story that might take place sometime around the 1940’s, which is a time in history that I enjoy reading and learning about.
My Take: The Inheritance is a sprawling family saga built around three adult half-sisters, an unexpected inheritance, and an Oregon vineyard none of them expected to share. I especially enjoyed the family secrets, multiple settings, and dual timeline that reaches back to 1940s France, although I wished the historical storyline had been given more room to develop. If you enjoy multigenerational stories about complicated families, long-held secrets, and relationships that change when the past comes to light, this is a solid read.
Synopsis of The Inheritance
When photographer Jackson Swann dies, his three adult daughters discover that they’ve inherited his family’s vineyard in Oregon – and that their complicated family is even more complicated than they realized. Tess, Charlotte, and Natalie have different mothers, very different relationships with their father, and, in some cases, little or no knowledge of one another.
As the sisters come together to deal with the vineyard and their inheritance, old resentments, family secrets, and questions about their father’s past begin to surface. Their present-day story is intertwined with events in 1940s France, adding a historical thread to a novel about family, identity, loss, and the unexpected bonds of sisterhood.
The Inheritance – What I Liked
First, I liked that this book is a multi-generational family saga. And those generations struggle to deal with family rivalry, secrets, love, respect, and learning how to come to terms with surprise siblings while grieving the loss of a parent.
The book is mostly set in Oregon wine country, which is not an area I’m very familiar with, so it was interesting to learn more about it. Settings in New York, Charleston, SC, Paris, and Sedona, AZ were also featured.
And then I also liked the dual timeframe, and how the story flips between present-day (mostly Oregon) and 1940s France.
The Inheritance – What I Didn’t Like
I felt that the book didn’t flash back to 1940s France often enough. There were only a handful of chapters set in that timeframe, and I felt like it didn’t give me enough time to get to know the characters and really know what was going on during that time. I love historical fiction, so I would have enjoyed spending more time in that earlier period and getting to know those characters better.
The Inheritance – Read, ReRead Or Reconsider?
And now for my 3 Rs of book reviews. Read, Reread, or Reconsider?
What is my opinion of The Inheritance by Joann Ross?
A definite READ.
Even though there was one thing I didn’t like about the lack of flashbacks to 1940s France, I still think that this is a solid read and I enjoyed it.
Final Thoughts on The Inheritance
The Inheritance worked best for me as a story about family – the secrets people keep, the different ways children can experience the same parent, and what happens when three women who barely know one another suddenly have to figure out what it means to be sisters.
I would have loved more time in the 1940s France storyline, but the contemporary family drama, Oregon wine-country setting, and slowly unfolding relationships kept me interested. If you enjoy multigenerational family sagas with complicated relationships and secrets waiting to surface, The Inheritance is worth adding to your list.
My verdict: READ.
What To Read Next
If you enjoyed the family secrets and dual-timeline storytelling in The Inheritance, try one of these next:
- The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles – Another dual-timeline novel that moves between the present and the past, with a much stronger WWII historical storyline.
- The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis – A good next choice if you like women’s fiction that blends relationships, secrets, and the past.
- Explore Historical Fiction – Browse more novels set across different eras and historical settings.
