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The Hawthorne Inheritance
Author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s sister Louisa drowned in 1852. But was it really an accident?
In 1830, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s cousin John Stephens Dike flees Massachusetts and his abusive stepmother Priscilla and settles in Ohio, where he expands his uncle’s successful Grocery Emporium and marries his beloved Margaretta. Haunted only by occasional debilitating headaches, he considers his painful past to be safely behind him, until in 1883 an unexpected inheritance from his cousin Elizabeth Hawthorne brings John Stephens’ nightmarish boyhood again to the fore.
The inheritance consists of a crate of shabby furniture and a collection of old papers detailing the love affair between John Stephen’s late father John Dike and Hawthorne’s younger sister, Louisa. But it also raises some questions surrounding Louisa’s drowning in the 1852 Henry Clay steamship disaster. The documents John Dike’s post mortum treatiss regarding his affair with Louisa and her death; Louisa Hawthorne’s warm and witty diary entries celebrating the clandestine romance with John Dike and her experiences with Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and the Hawthorne, Alcott, Emerson, and Peabody families; and damning letters to a clergyman from the late Priscilla Dike detailing her hellish revenge.
But can John Stephens conquer his childhood terrors and find justice for Louisa? And what other literary bombshells lie hidden within Elizabeth Hawthorne’s bequest? In this meticulously researched historical novel, Kate Dike Blair salutes her Hawthorne cousins and their circles, explores inconsistencies in the Henry Clay accident inquest, and chronicles for the ages John and Louisa’s star-crossed romance.
In 1830, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s cousin John Stephens Dike flees Massachusetts and his abusive stepmother Priscilla and settles in Ohio, where he expands his uncle’s successful Grocery Emporium and marries his beloved Margaretta. Haunted only by occasional debilitating headaches, he considers his painful past to be safely behind him, until in 1883 an unexpected inheritance from his cousin Elizabeth Hawthorne brings John Stephens’ nightmarish boyhood again to the fore.
The inheritance consists of a crate of shabby furniture and a collection of old papers detailing the love affair between John Stephen’s late father John Dike and Hawthorne’s younger sister, Louisa. But it also raises some questions surrounding Louisa’s drowning in the 1852 Henry Clay steamship disaster. The documents John Dike’s post mortum treatiss regarding his affair with Louisa and her death; Louisa Hawthorne’s warm and witty diary entries celebrating the clandestine romance with John Dike and her experiences with Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and the Hawthorne, Alcott, Emerson, and Peabody families; and damning letters to a clergyman from the late Priscilla Dike detailing her hellish revenge.
But can John Stephens conquer his childhood terrors and find justice for Louisa? And what other literary bombshells lie hidden within Elizabeth Hawthorne’s bequest? In this meticulously researched historical novel, Kate Dike Blair salutes her Hawthorne cousins and their circles, explores inconsistencies in the Henry Clay accident inquest, and chronicles for the ages John and Louisa’s star-crossed romance.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 15, 2023
I enjoyed reading about these Characters and learning a bit more about the Hawthorne family and the mystery. I found it a little slow at first but by mid book I was thoroughly engaged.
June 22, 2024
A captivating read
Kate Dike Blair’s historical novel The Hawthorne Inheritance is a remarkable book. It is a fascinating love story that occurs within a family in the 1800’s. It pulls in some notable literary giants, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott, who are characters in this well-written book. What is remarkable is that the author adeptly recreates the world of that time for the reader. You can see and sense what people are wearing, eating, and smelling in each locale. You are totally immersed in the world of the novel. Through diary entries, letters, and personal documents, the reader becomes acquainted with the different characters, and the plot zips along in a most engaging manner. How do you know when you have read a good and important book? When you can’t put it down and do not want it to end. The Hawthorne Inheritance is one of those books. In addition, it is fascinating to note that author based the novel upon her family’s connections to the Hawthorne family and other New England families mentioned in the book. Blair infused her family’s history with romance and drama and gives her readers a wonderful, fun, and educational read.
Kate Dike Blair’s historical novel The Hawthorne Inheritance is a remarkable book. It is a fascinating love story that occurs within a family in the 1800’s. It pulls in some notable literary giants, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott, who are characters in this well-written book. What is remarkable is that the author adeptly recreates the world of that time for the reader. You can see and sense what people are wearing, eating, and smelling in each locale. You are totally immersed in the world of the novel. Through diary entries, letters, and personal documents, the reader becomes acquainted with the different characters, and the plot zips along in a most engaging manner. How do you know when you have read a good and important book? When you can’t put it down and do not want it to end. The Hawthorne Inheritance is one of those books. In addition, it is fascinating to note that author based the novel upon her family’s connections to the Hawthorne family and other New England families mentioned in the book. Blair infused her family’s history with romance and drama and gives her readers a wonderful, fun, and educational read.
July 16, 2024
The Hawthorne Inheritance has a complex cast of characters: a cluster of families in 1800s Massachusetts. Blair elucidates the various relationships and intertwining of these families, as we get behind-the-scenes views of the famous literary people of the time: Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau the Alcotts, as they interacted with each other and with the Dike/Blair family of the author– all in the midst of a murder mystery that keeps you reading.
I liked the glimpses into the Transcendentalist movement as it was lived at the time and how this new philosophy and new ideas about sexual issues – discarding the Puritan morality for something more humane – created clashes among people as they also opened up ongoing questions about boundaries.
I enjoyed reading about Concord, Mass, where I lived for a time, as it was in the 1800s. What a pleasure to see Walden Pond, the Walden Woods, and the landmark houses frequented by these notables and their families, who were all connected in some way to the Dike/Blair family system.
Kate Blair's extensive research and use of family records is impressive.
I liked the glimpses into the Transcendentalist movement as it was lived at the time and how this new philosophy and new ideas about sexual issues – discarding the Puritan morality for something more humane – created clashes among people as they also opened up ongoing questions about boundaries.
I enjoyed reading about Concord, Mass, where I lived for a time, as it was in the 1800s. What a pleasure to see Walden Pond, the Walden Woods, and the landmark houses frequented by these notables and their families, who were all connected in some way to the Dike/Blair family system.
Kate Blair's extensive research and use of family records is impressive.
March 4, 2024
Kate Dike Blair's "The Hawthorne Inheritance" is a beautifully written story of family intrigue that will hook you immediately from the first page to the last. Drawing from the author’s own ancestral history, this historical novel carries an emotional weight that adds depth to its already rich tapestry.
Blair's eloquent prose paints vivid scenes that unfold like a film in the mind’s eye. I was especially taken by the heart of the story—the enigmatic circumstances that surrounded the drowning death of Nathaniel Hawthorne's sister Louisa as well as the truth of her illicit romance with her uncle by marriage. The twists and turns of the suspenseful plot kept me turning pages, eager to uncover the next revelation. I also got a special kick when literary greats that included Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott and my teen fave, Margaret Fuller, made memorable appearances.
"The Hawthorne Inheritance" transported me into a world I found so compelling and tantalizing, it left me longing for more as the final chapter drew near. For those seeking an absorbing literary read, “The Hawthorne Inheritance” is your ticket. It’s a captivating delight and very highly recommended.
Blair's eloquent prose paints vivid scenes that unfold like a film in the mind’s eye. I was especially taken by the heart of the story—the enigmatic circumstances that surrounded the drowning death of Nathaniel Hawthorne's sister Louisa as well as the truth of her illicit romance with her uncle by marriage. The twists and turns of the suspenseful plot kept me turning pages, eager to uncover the next revelation. I also got a special kick when literary greats that included Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott and my teen fave, Margaret Fuller, made memorable appearances.
"The Hawthorne Inheritance" transported me into a world I found so compelling and tantalizing, it left me longing for more as the final chapter drew near. For those seeking an absorbing literary read, “The Hawthorne Inheritance” is your ticket. It’s a captivating delight and very highly recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2026
Engaging, beautifully written page-turner.
Kate Dike Blair’s well researched and brilliantly written historical mystery novel is one I couldn’t put down. The characters come to life on the pages, including one you adore (Louisa Hawthorne) and one you love to hate (her aunt Priscilla). I felt transported to the 1800’s, by the sights, smells and sounds, and by the spoken language. Ms. Blair’s vivid writing is testament to her familial connection to these literary families. I highly recommend this captivating book.
Kate Dike Blair’s well researched and brilliantly written historical mystery novel is one I couldn’t put down. The characters come to life on the pages, including one you adore (Louisa Hawthorne) and one you love to hate (her aunt Priscilla). I felt transported to the 1800’s, by the sights, smells and sounds, and by the spoken language. Ms. Blair’s vivid writing is testament to her familial connection to these literary families. I highly recommend this captivating book.
December 4, 2021
I enjoyed this gripping tale of what could have happened to Louisa Hawthorne leading to her death on the "Henry Clay" Steamship Disaster of 1852. The author brings a colorful palette in her writing style in the suspenseful murder mystery surrounding the death of Nathaniel Hawthorne's younger sister.
June 7, 2022
Very well-researched and quite a tale! I'd never heard this story before and it's fascinating. I'd love to see it as a period drama!
April 19, 2023
I found it to be a slow beginning but it picked up and I found the mysteries and details intriguing. I would recommend this book.
March 18, 2024
This historical fiction novel crosses multiple generations to weave together actual and theoretical events to explore the death of Louisa Hawthorne, the younger sister of author Nathaniel Hawthorne. There’s a deep mystery here that is thoroughly researched and brilliantly written, full of alluring revelations, scheming family members, and illicit affairs. The characters are fleshed-out, colorful, and each one has a distinct voice. This book will appeal to mystery readers as well as fans of historical fiction.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews