The Left-Handed Marriage

by A. O'Connor

Irish beauty Diana Cantwell meets charming Max Von Hoffsten, eldest son and heir to a German count, and their romance blossoms in the carefree days before the First World War. But when they become engaged, Max’s father insists on a ‘left-handed marriage’, a custom among the German aristocracy in cases where the bride does not have the required pedigree. This means that, although Diana will be Max’s lawful wife, neither she nor their children will have any claim to Max’s eventual title or wealth. Deeply in love, Max and Diana agree to these terms and the newlyweds dazzle from Ascot to the Riviera and host lavish skiing parties at their estate in the Alps. However, as the dark clouds of war gather across Europe, Diana becomes concerned by her loving husband’s unpredictability and what she suspects are sinister secrets beneath his family’s glamorous lifestyle. When war is declared Diana finds herself caught between two sides, as her own Anglo-Irish family are fighting for the British and Max is an officer in the German army. Diana, refusing to leave her beloved husband, becomes a figure of mistrust in Germany and is portrayed as a treasonous woman in the British press. When Max is reported missing presumed dead, Diana is rejected by his family. Widowed, penniless, her reputation in tatters and her own family in Ireland destroyed by the war, Diana sets out to rebuild her life. A. O’Connor once more draws us irresistibly into the past and spins an extraordinary tale that holds us spellbound. Here again is that mixture of impeccable research and powerful storytelling that made The House and The Secrets of Armstrong House bestsellers

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Ireland

480 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2014

About the author

A. O'Connor is the bestselling author of The House, The Secrets of Armstrong House, The Left Handed Marriage and The Footman. A graduate in History and English from the National University of Ireland Maynooth and Trinity College Dublin, the author has contributed to two collections of short stories in aid of Barnardos Charity and played a key role in A.M.D's Fighting Blindness campaign. The House has been translated into German and the Russian edition is due for publication in 2016.

Reviews

[Kymm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found a new favorite author in A. O'Connor. Since I started reading his books I've been enthralled with each one and each one has been as good, if not better than the one I read previously. This one was no different. It starts off with Diana Cantwell and Max Von Hoffsten falling in love against his fathers objections. His objections are so strong that he insists if they marry they must do so in what is called a "left handed marriage", a marriage where once Max dies Diana or their children can't inherit anything from Max's estate, leaving them poor and homeless. However, as you're reading about this story there's another story going on. The present day Count has been shot and needs a blood transfusion and the only relative they can find with his blood type happens to be a descendant of Diana Cantwell who has no idea he's the true heir of the Von Hoffsten estate. He then goes on a mission to find out what happened those many years ago that denied him his rights. The book is not only a great historical read, but a great mystery starts to unfold and it's up to the reader to figure out what's truly going on. I was stumped until the final pages. This one was another page turner for me and I just couldn't put it down. I love how he always has a story within the story and it's always full of twists and turns. I just can't recommend A. O'Connor's books enough. I've found them all, so far 7 of them, to be great stories with thrillers thrown in. Highly recommend to those who want a great story with some suspense behind it.

[Fauve K · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story concept is brilliant but I found I was waiting for it to get more exciting, for me personally. There were times I was uncomfortable with the family in the book and found myself vexed with the main character with her circumstances and for not standing up for herself... But I suppose that's a reflection of the times, 1920-1950.

[Margaret Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional roller coaster, as well as a page turner, O'connor spins another great story based on the war years of the first World War. I honestly was kept guessing through the entire story!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, this was absolutely fantastic! I could not put this down. O'Connor does an incredible job of weaving together the two timelines, and keeping you enthralled!

[Debra Reedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything by this author is totally worth reading.

[Vicki Pieranunzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I have been reading several by this author and each is better than the last.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of twists and turns.

This story of a romance between a wealthy German aristocrat and a society girl from Ireland begins in the post-WWI era and alternates to present time with a distant relative who becomes interested in researching his great-grandparents.

I have to say it's a very involved plot as present-day Sam becomes aware that he has aristocratic blood literally. His rare blood type is urgently needed to save a distant German relative he was previously unaware of. The plot is extremely detailed and is pretty average until about the midway point in the book. Then it gets very interesting and is a rapid paced read.

Without going into detail and spoiling this intricate story, I recommend to readers of historical fiction and romance. Pretty good by the end!

[Scott Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story!

I've been plowing through A O,Connors books for a few months.....don't know what took me so long to get to this one.
It was well worth the wait, though. Our protagonist, Diana, marries a German aristocrat. His father doesn't deem her worthy of him, and treats both Diana and her family quite shabbily.
There are many unlikable characters in this story. But? We have every good reason not to like them, their personalities are that well fleshed out. Not one of the bad people dies. None of the good people get redemption, either.
You will get to know and love/hate every person, going to the cook and stable boy.
Try it, please? You won't be sorry.

[Grainne Moran · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really looked forward to this book and was so disappointed.
I could not get past the whole lack of research into blood transfusions- one donor giving blood on request for a week?!
The historical characters- I need to like someone and I couldn’t, all so shallow.
The final twist earned it a second star from me, that was great!

[Paula Schilling-miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn in….

I love history and this story pulled me in! I happily finished the book in a day as I had trouble setting it aside. I became invested in the drama and needed to find out just what became of dear Diana. Thank you for giving me another fictional heroic female to idolize !!

[MELANIE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a good book to keep my mind off my troubles. I was fascinated by the idea of a left-handed marriage and the vulnerability of the wife under such circumstances. The historical detail of the First World War and the Irish War of Independence made wonderful backdrops to help illustrate the change of circumstances.

[Melissa Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read by A O'Connor

I've read nearly all of O'Connor's books and they never disappoint. The visual of Ireland, London, Dublin at the turn of the century is riveting. The plot twists keep you guessing till the very end.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it is shocking in how human nature can be and that the good and the bad can form peoples lives through generations.

[Karin Verburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like stories with an historic setting. Bought and read this book while on holiday in Ireland so I felt extra close to the scenery.
To me had a "Downton-abbey" feel.
After Diana leaving Germany I thought the story was coming to an end and was very curious what all the pages left were going to be about. I liked the plottwist and the two intertwining nowadays-past storylines.

[Mary Sue Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Story

I couldn't put this book down. The author weaves such a story of love, mystery , sacrifice , unfairness and evil. It is well written and flowing. I highly recommend.

[Lula Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and Intrigue

What a wonderful book with many twists and turns. Simply could not wait to get to the end to see just what the truth really was!

[Nicole Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of his books and each one is just brilliant.

[Rita Hochstedler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read that illustrates the aristocracy in Europe its downfall and affect on others. Especially women. All within an intriguing story.

[Gary David Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good

I really enjoyed these books! So interesting with little surprises here and there. Made me think of who knew what at the time of the war.

[Patti Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great twists!

I enjoyed the entire book. So many lovely and evil twists. Well done!
I am looking for more of A O 'Connor's work!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of twists and turns in this one. I wasn't sure about it when I started as the format was similar to the Armstrong House books written by this author. However, I enjoyed it when I got into it. Too bad about the many typographical errors in the kobo edition.

[Pat Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good novel

This has an interesting and complex plot. I've never heard of "a left-handed" marriage which turned out to be an unfortunate decision for Diana, the main character. The story provides a look into German aristocracy prior to WWI and how Diana coped with life.

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It had me interested from the start. A romance which brings joy and happiness, a few tears, anger and a bit of mystery thrown in. Fabulous!!!

[Jacqui Warrender · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this. everything I like in a book. history
romance. intrigue.

[Sarah Marinkovich-Durfee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. I think the phrase left handed marriage was overused...but loved the rest. The rollercoaster plot and pull on my emotions had me hooked!! Not what I expected at all.

[Bridget Torkington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this, interesting story and a good ending, was sorry when I finished it.

[Fidelma · Rating 4 out of 5]

really good, made for compelling reading

[Donna]

This was an eye opener. Left handed marriage, wow!, Must have been tough choosing a husband over one's country and family. Loved her ending.

[Suzanne McEneaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great premise for a book but poor level of writing (and two or three outright errors in printing) made it an irritating read. the modern day hero is supposed to be a history lecturer in Trinity but behaves like a spoilt teenager and where he gets the money for all his little investigative trips is beyond me.

[Janice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Your typical love story, easy to read