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Legacy Saga #1
Legacy of Love
Charlotte was the first - wildly beautiful, wildly frustrated- who married her soldier husband solely to escape from the claustrophobic respectability of Victorian life in Richmond. When she reached the British lines in Kabul she was bewitched by the exotic world of Afghanistan and by Alexander Bewick, the scandalous adventurer who aroused an instant response in Charlotte's rebellious heart. As the city of Kabul was turned into a hell of bloodshed, Charlotte was forced to choose between her devoted husband and reckless lover.
Alexandra lived in the shadow of her legendary grandmother Charlotte. Reared in a gloomy Scottish castle by a mother who resented her, she finally had to reach out and try to create a life of her own.
Cara had inherited the wildness and selfishness of her great-grandmother Charlotte. Smouldering with resentment because she had to help care for her crippled mother while her friends were all joining up at the outbreak of WWII, she finally found, as the tragedies of war began to erode her life, that she also had the courage of Charlotte, a courage that was eventually to bring her happiness.
Alexandra lived in the shadow of her legendary grandmother Charlotte. Reared in a gloomy Scottish castle by a mother who resented her, she finally had to reach out and try to create a life of her own.
Cara had inherited the wildness and selfishness of her great-grandmother Charlotte. Smouldering with resentment because she had to help care for her crippled mother while her friends were all joining up at the outbreak of WWII, she finally found, as the tragedies of war began to erode her life, that she also had the courage of Charlotte, a courage that was eventually to bring her happiness.
544 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
1 person is currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Harvey
23 books11 followersTrollope Potter Curteis Tollope (aka Joanna Trollope)
Joanna Trollope was born on 9 December 1943 in her grandfather's rectory in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England, daughter of Rosemary Hodson and Arthur George Cecil Trollope. She is the eldest of three siblings. She is a fifth-generation niece of the Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope and is a cousin of the writer and broadcaster James Trollope. She was educated at Reigate County School for Girls followed by St Hugh's College, Oxford. On 14 May 1966, she married the banker David Roger William Potter, they had two daughters, Antonia and Louise, and on 1983 they divorced. In 1985, she remarried to the television dramatist Ian Curteis, and became the stepmother of two stepsons; they divorced in 2001. Today, she is a grandmother and lives on her own in London.
From 1965 to 1967, she worked at the Foreign Office. From 1967 to 1979, she was employed in a number of teaching posts before she became a writer full-time in 1980. Her novel Parson Harding's Daughter written under the pseudonym Caroline Harvey won in 1980 the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Joanna Trollope was born on 9 December 1943 in her grandfather's rectory in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England, daughter of Rosemary Hodson and Arthur George Cecil Trollope. She is the eldest of three siblings. She is a fifth-generation niece of the Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope and is a cousin of the writer and broadcaster James Trollope. She was educated at Reigate County School for Girls followed by St Hugh's College, Oxford. On 14 May 1966, she married the banker David Roger William Potter, they had two daughters, Antonia and Louise, and on 1983 they divorced. In 1985, she remarried to the television dramatist Ian Curteis, and became the stepmother of two stepsons; they divorced in 2001. Today, she is a grandmother and lives on her own in London.
From 1965 to 1967, she worked at the Foreign Office. From 1967 to 1979, she was employed in a number of teaching posts before she became a writer full-time in 1980. Her novel Parson Harding's Daughter written under the pseudonym Caroline Harvey won in 1980 the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 25, 2012
Just arrived from Portugal through BM.
What a waste of time to read this book. I really tried hard to find some connection among the stories of Charlotte in Afghanistan, Alexandra in Cornwall and Cara during World War II in England.
I could't find anything worth to be mentioned.
NEXT book, please!!
What a waste of time to read this book. I really tried hard to find some connection among the stories of Charlotte in Afghanistan, Alexandra in Cornwall and Cara during World War II in England.
I could't find anything worth to be mentioned.
NEXT book, please!!
April 25, 2010
I loved this historical novel. I especially liked that it was written from the perspective of three generations of women and showed how each of them grew from young girls into strong adult women. Some time way down the road I would even read this one again.
November 13, 2017
Well, I suppose I've read my first "romance novel." Given that I'm not wild about the genre, this was quite a good read. A historical novel set in three time periods -- Victorian times, WWI & WWII -- the book is actually 3 novellas about different generations of women in a family.
I found it to be a real page-turner, but the moral of the story is always the same: a woman can be utterly remarkable, brilliant, creative, courageous, but she is never quite complete without her man. And each story was entirely predictable in the end. Still, the stories were so well told that I couldn't help being sucked in. I almost gave the book four stars, but the predictability was too much.
The real question is, will I read the sequel that covers the NEXT three generations? And what are the chances that one of those women will find fulfillment w/out her man? Zero, I fear.
I found it to be a real page-turner, but the moral of the story is always the same: a woman can be utterly remarkable, brilliant, creative, courageous, but she is never quite complete without her man. And each story was entirely predictable in the end. Still, the stories were so well told that I couldn't help being sucked in. I almost gave the book four stars, but the predictability was too much.
The real question is, will I read the sequel that covers the NEXT three generations? And what are the chances that one of those women will find fulfillment w/out her man? Zero, I fear.
September 9, 2021
Loved the different characters that follow the bloodlines of their family. Can't wait to ready the sequel.
February 19, 2023
Read my full review here: https://hlgibsonauthor.com/2023/01/09...
March 16, 2024
Took a very long time to trudge through this book. It us divided into 3 parts and the first 2 are pretty hard to get through……not one of my favorite reads.
April 30, 2025
Liked the first 1/3. The rest was kind of dumb. The last 1/3 was also boring
August 7, 2014
Finished my Trollope (Caroline Harvey) book Legacy of Love. It is three separate stories about three young women from completely different eras but who are all united by blood as well as by their strong characters. The first is set in the mid-1800s in a historical setting of bloodshed in Afghanistan. Wild-child Charlotte marries a soldier and finds herself on the front line of the war. But it is not just the war tearing at her heart; she is frustrated by her solid and sensible marriage and finds herself in the clutches of temptation to take an exotic and scandalous lover.
The second story jumps a generation to Charlotte’s granddaughter Alexandra. Growing up against the First World War. Her mum has always hidden the real Charlotte from Alexandra, almost making her feel bitter towards not being able to live up to the great woman. But after going to live with her aunt Emily (the narrator of the first novella) she begins to learn her ways in society and ultimately that she has many of Charlotte’s positive characteristics. This is probably the most cliché love story of the lot – not so much historical setting – but more about comical society blunders and the love story between her and a misunderstood and slightly moody painter.
The third novella is abut Cara, Alexandra’s daughter, and is set during World War II. A tragic accident renders her mother unable to walk, and with an ageing father too, Cara’s wishes to go away for the war are dashed and she has to stay at home to care for them and join the land army. She is terribly unhappy at this, almost a bit brattish about it, but then she has to endear many hardships that although very sad for her, also help her to grow as a character and, again, show that strong nature passed down from Charlotte.
It’s extremely well written – as you would expect from Trollope – and although ultimately they are all love stories they do have an interesting historical aspect about them in their settings and plenty of war-time adventure. Not the classic Trollope style of writing – I suppose that is why she has written under the pseudonym of Caroline Harvey - (there are typical, slightly predictable happy endings to all these three novellas – something I love about Trollope normally is that she does not feel she needs to add the cliché happy ending to all her books) but nevertheless there is still such a great growth of character in every heroine and the writing still oozes Trollope quality.
The second story jumps a generation to Charlotte’s granddaughter Alexandra. Growing up against the First World War. Her mum has always hidden the real Charlotte from Alexandra, almost making her feel bitter towards not being able to live up to the great woman. But after going to live with her aunt Emily (the narrator of the first novella) she begins to learn her ways in society and ultimately that she has many of Charlotte’s positive characteristics. This is probably the most cliché love story of the lot – not so much historical setting – but more about comical society blunders and the love story between her and a misunderstood and slightly moody painter.
The third novella is abut Cara, Alexandra’s daughter, and is set during World War II. A tragic accident renders her mother unable to walk, and with an ageing father too, Cara’s wishes to go away for the war are dashed and she has to stay at home to care for them and join the land army. She is terribly unhappy at this, almost a bit brattish about it, but then she has to endear many hardships that although very sad for her, also help her to grow as a character and, again, show that strong nature passed down from Charlotte.
It’s extremely well written – as you would expect from Trollope – and although ultimately they are all love stories they do have an interesting historical aspect about them in their settings and plenty of war-time adventure. Not the classic Trollope style of writing – I suppose that is why she has written under the pseudonym of Caroline Harvey - (there are typical, slightly predictable happy endings to all these three novellas – something I love about Trollope normally is that she does not feel she needs to add the cliché happy ending to all her books) but nevertheless there is still such a great growth of character in every heroine and the writing still oozes Trollope quality.
August 20, 2008
This is really a trilogy, featuring three different heroines in three different eras.
The first novella is set in 19th century Afghanistan. Amidst stirring accounts of the adventures of the English army versus cunning and violent Afghan tribesmen, is woven the love story of rebellious and (of course) stunningly beautiful Charlotte.
The second is a coming-of-age/love story/adventure about Charlotte's granddaughter, Alexandra, living in England against the background of the first World War.
And Alexandra's granddaughter, Cara, is the "passionate and wilful" heroine of the third novella, set in England during World War II.
Each of these three heroines are cleverly painted in realistic colors, as are all the surrounding characters, so that their stories become quite believable: a fascinating page-turner.
The first novella is set in 19th century Afghanistan. Amidst stirring accounts of the adventures of the English army versus cunning and violent Afghan tribesmen, is woven the love story of rebellious and (of course) stunningly beautiful Charlotte.
The second is a coming-of-age/love story/adventure about Charlotte's granddaughter, Alexandra, living in England against the background of the first World War.
And Alexandra's granddaughter, Cara, is the "passionate and wilful" heroine of the third novella, set in England during World War II.
Each of these three heroines are cleverly painted in realistic colors, as are all the surrounding characters, so that their stories become quite believable: a fascinating page-turner.
December 14, 2014
I enjoyed this book - - it is a story of 3 women -- generations apart but from the same bloodline. It is evident that each family carries the same thread, especially around the theme of 'Love'. I thought Joanna Trollope (writing as Caroline Harvey) did a fabulous job in keeping the generations true to their life path.
The book is set so that the 3 stories are completely separate (which I really enjoyed). I find it difficult to be in one story, and then the next chapter jumps back to a different generation etc. This book is completely separate. Yet, of course when we are reading the life of the second female, the first is often mentioned, simply as a reference..
I enjoyed Story # 1 - entirely about Charlotte and her escapades.
I enjoyed Story #2 - entirely about Alexandra and her escapades
The third story for me was a little weird - especially the ending. As a matter of fact, after finishing reading, and closing the book, my comment was "That was plain weird!"... Did the author perhaps not really know how to 'end' the story - and just decided - this is it!
The book is set so that the 3 stories are completely separate (which I really enjoyed). I find it difficult to be in one story, and then the next chapter jumps back to a different generation etc. This book is completely separate. Yet, of course when we are reading the life of the second female, the first is often mentioned, simply as a reference..
I enjoyed Story # 1 - entirely about Charlotte and her escapades.
I enjoyed Story #2 - entirely about Alexandra and her escapades
The third story for me was a little weird - especially the ending. As a matter of fact, after finishing reading, and closing the book, my comment was "That was plain weird!"... Did the author perhaps not really know how to 'end' the story - and just decided - this is it!
December 31, 2009
This book took me months to read. I'd toss it aside for weeks at a time, pick it up and read a bit here and there. I wanted to finish it, but I guess I just didn't care much about the characters. The first chapter is about Charlotte, a typical spoiled 19th century "way ahead of her times" gal. I found her annoying and was far more interested in her sister, Emily, who was writing that portion of the book. The second part of the book was about Alexandra, Charlotte's granddaughter, and she was a far more believable character and I like her. Unfortunately the end of the book is followed up by Alexandra's spoiled 20th century daughter, Cara. I liked the history in each section, but the main characters were stereotypical.
April 30, 2016
This book needs to be reviewed with its sequel, "A Second Legacy" which between them are five books/stories of five generations of women in the same family. In my opinion, the best story was that of Charlotte who kicks of the first story but unfortunately for me, the characters deteriorated with each generation until the last one in the second book, Cara is a bit of a pain in the proverbial. This was a huge task that Joanna Trollope took on, covering a story of five women over a time frame of 150 years. The enormity of the task was highlighted in the penultimate story of Alexia whom I felt I had not got to know before her story concluded. When I got on to Cara's story, I kept confusing her with Alexia.
February 2, 2016
An enchanting deck of women in their early 20s: the adventurous Charlotte in Afghanistan in 1841, her daughter and self-doubting granddaughter Alexandra isolated in Scotland in 1906, and her spoiled great-granddaughter Cara bemoaning her unglamorous Land Girl fate in Cornwall during WWII. All three inexpertly shuffle their way to love, as Joanna Trollope writing as Carolyn Harvey deals out lots of satisfying historical detail.
September 30, 2014
I don't know why I resisted reading Joanna Trollope's historical novels but I'm glad I finally did read them. This book and the sequel "A Second Legacy" are simply wonderful. They follow one family through six generations and detail the struggles of each woman to find her place in the world. Vivid imagery, fascinating history, and very satisfying.
October 16, 2007
Three generations in one family and with their own romantic love story. A great read for anyone who likes to read about love. The book pulls you right into the story as if you are really there living in the moment. It is a wonderful story about men and women fighting for what they want most.
September 3, 2010
A historical novel set in 19th century Afghanistan, about four women whose lives are interconnected. A good novel, just not a great one. Fine for beach or light reading.
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_42134...
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_42134...
June 28, 2007
Historical fiction/romance - tells the story of three generations of women - three different eras/settings. Great writing and interesting story.
June 26, 2011
What can I say. It's got castles, Cornwall, pretty people, love, a war (or 2) and so much more. A little on history and a lot of fiction. Loved it, read in 2 days.
July 28, 2011
Really enjoyed reading this book. Great historical fiction.
January 4, 2016
Rambling
March 4, 2016
Just finished Three Cups of Tea, and now here is a novel in which the first half is set in Afghanistan in the early 1800s. Very good story of three generations of women.
April 28, 2015
not generally an author i go for but not too bad a story
January 23, 2016
Wonderful story of four generations of an English family.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews