Status Updates From The Wakefield Legacy: The U...

Well! Congrats to Robert (and then Ned), as the only Wakefields who didn’t lose their spouses. Guess the curse was broken. Good for you.

I actually did quite enjoy this, despite not being a family saga fan. It was shallow, and most of the characters didn’t have much of a personality, but it tapped into the zeitgeist of each era nicely, though I don’t know enough history to know how accurate it was.

Oh, Jessamyn was the hotel owner! I didn’t remember that part. Maybe her kid was the one Edward saved. This whole thing is very Celestine. Either that or there really are only a couple dozen people in the world and they do the rest with mirrors.

Encounters with the other side of the family: 4 (Alice Larson, Jessamyn Johnson, Samantha & Amanda & Harry Watson, Alice Robertson).

Deaths: 8 (James Wakefield, Dancing Wind, James Wakefield the Younger, Edward Brooke, Theodore Wakefield, Samantha Watson, Julia Marks-Wakefield, Jason Carter.)

Deaths: 7 (James Wakefield, Dancing Wind, James Wakefield the Younger, Edward Brooke, Theodore Wakefield, Samantha Watson, Julia Marks-Wakefield.) I think this family is cursed.

Deaths: 6 (James Wakefield, Dancing Wind, James Wakefield the Younger, Edward Brooke, Theodore Wakefield, Samantha Watson.)

I have never heard of the Awaswan. Am I lacking in knowledge or did someone randomly make up a tribe for this book?

Encounters with the other side of the family: 3 (Alice Larson, Jessamyn Johnson, Samantha & Amanda & Harry Watson).

Ugh, I can’t believe swallowing live fish was actually a thing.

Deaths: 5 (James Wakefield; Dancing Wind; James Wakefield the Younger; Edward Brooke; Theodore Wakefield).

Deaths: 4 (James Wakefield; Dancing Wind; James Wakefield the Younger; Edward Brooke).

Deaths: 3 (James Wakefield; Dancing Wind; James Wakefield the Younger).

Theodore has now had three horses named Raven. He really does live in the past.

Deaths: 2 (James Wakefield, 15th Viscount Leslie; Dancing Wind).

Encounters with the other side of the family: 2 (Alice Larson; Jessamyn Johnson (and I assume her twin Elisabeth)).

“She knew that her slender, gently curving figure was the envy of Isabella, who had to struggle against a tendency to grow plump.” Nothing marks this out as a late 80s/early 90s book more than stuff like this. 🙄

Book started 1866, now 1884. So Theo must be coming up 40, if we assume he was about 20-22 in the beginning. Might have been only 18ish, so he could be mid-30s now. And Dancing Wind is 16. Huh, I guess it was OK in those days.

Ngl, it’s always kind of sad to read historical fiction where people leave the old country (whichever one) for America, the Land of Opportunity. When I was a kid (80s) it still kind of was.

Oh, I forgot to update earlier. Deaths: 1 (James Wakefield).

Wow, Theodore is a REALLY experienced and talented carver if he managed to carve a rose for Alice in an afternoon. On a boat. With seasickness.