The Heart Cannot Forget

by Mary Burchell

When Antonia agreed to go as secretary-companion to her unknown Aunt Harriet, she did not take very seriously the promise that she would be made the old lady's heiress. She was startled, therefore, when on arrival she found that the estate was a considerable one and that there was a dispossessed nephew in the person of her attractive cousin, Giles, who had quarreled with their aunt over his engagement to Vanessa. Characteristically, Antonia set herself to reconcile aunt and nephew, and in doing so uncovered some very strange fragments of family history. She found something else too--her own conviction that Vanessa was not the right girl for Giles.

Genres: Harlequin Romance

Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

Ida Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her eldest sister Mary Louise Cook (1901), she attending the Duchess' School in Alnwick. Later the sisters took civil service jobs in London, and developed a passionate interest in opera. The sisters helped 29 jews to escape from the Nazis, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honored as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel.

As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She helped to found the Romantic Novelists' Association, and was its president from 1966 to her death on December 22, 1986.

Reviews

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly typical outing with a sweet unselfish heroine, an irascible old aunt, a hero who doesn't always act very wisely in his own interests and 'the other woman' who is clogging up the whole romance works for the heroine. There is also the ne'er do well brother of the heroes fiancee who has his own agenda and causes lots of trouble.

Really what else is there left to say? Mary Burchell is one of my favourites of the old time authors and several of her books are on my never ending want to reread list. Her early heroes are not the classic alpha males so popular today. Often they are sulky and contrary and immature at times. They are easily led astray by 'those kinds of women' and it can take them an entire book before they realise the treasure that is right in front of them.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminds me of s book version of the Perry Mason television program except without a murder. There's just bastard children secretly raised by a relative and also a great fortune to inherit.

Another piece of information about this book is that it was printed in Canada.