Publisher: Bookouture
Series: Wild Swan Trilogy, Book 3
Format: ebook
Genre: Historical Fiction, Family Saga
Synopsis
Lexy Culhane follows in stunned silence as her father bundles her younger brothers onto the train in a midnight flight away from the only life they have ever known. It seems impossible to her that her gentle, loving mother could have shot a man.
Despite the shock, Lexy soon grows to love her new home at Wild Swan, the grand horse farm in Maryland run by her formidable grandmother, Alexandria Falconer. It is from Alex that Lexy has inherited her fiery and rebellious spirit, and which eventually leads her headlong into a career as a crusading reporter during the final days of the frontier wars.
When Lexy meets enigmatic fellow reporter Hawk MacKenna, she feels she has finally found her soulmate. But Hawk’s life is shadowed by a mistake from his youth, and still haunted by her mother’s actions, Lexy struggles to trust him. When her relentless curiosity about his hidden past comes between them, Hawk leaves for the battlefields in the West and Lexy accepts an invitation from distant relations in England. But when she is offered a chance to stay, she faces a test—can she choose between building a new life in this foreign land, or returning to face the pain, and the love, that she left behind?
A stunning, dramatic and heartfelt story by beloved storyteller Celeste De Blasis, set against the backdrop of the most turbulent age of American history. Perfect for readers who love Poldark, Outlander and Daphne du Maurier.
A Wild Legacy was originally published as A Season of Swans.
My Thoughts
A Wild Heart, the previous book, ended with Alex and Rane Falconer saying goodbye to granddaughter Gincie, her husband Travis Culhane and their baby girl, Lexy, as they leave Wild Swan, the family farm and thoroughbred stud in Maryland, for a new beginning in California following the end of the Civil War.
A Wild Legacy continues the story five years later when the Culhanes and their three children, Lexy and her twin brothers Kace and Tay, flee to Wild Swan when Gincie shoots and kills a man.
The next fifteen years focuses on Gincie and Travis, and the repercussions of Gincie's actions. At first, Travis finds it hard to adjust to the loss of his dreams and having to leave the Californian ranch he loves so much. But once again, the tranquility of Wild Swan and the support of a loving and non-judgemental family works its magic and he comes to love Wild Swan as much as Gincie. A decision by an ageing Alex and Rane to hand over the responsibility of Wild Swan to the Culhanes is welcomed by all concerned.
With Wild Swan in good hands, the focus shifts from Gincie and Travis to their three children, Lexy, Kace and Tay, now young adults. However, it is Lexy's story that dominates the next ten years. With no plans for marriage or motherhood, she pursues her journalistic career and, like Hawk MacKenna, is witness to some of the most significant events in American history.
At first, given her background, Lexy reports on horse racing, but then writes pieces that she feels most passionately about: women's rights and “the injustices suffered by the poor and helpless”. Her determination to expose the plight of so many sees her go undercover undertaking low paid jobs with appalling conditions and, to help a friend, even infiltrating a lunatic asylum for women. She is also present in Pullman, Chicago, during the strike and riots of 1894.
When Lexy's interference in Hawk's personal business causes a rift between them, Lexy goes to visit relatives in England and Hawk heads West to report on the decimation of the 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn and its repercussions. The plight of the Indians and their treatment by the U.S. Government is of personal interest to Hawk and he continues to follow the dissolution of the Sioux and other Indian tribes. Years later, in 1890, he interviews Sitting Bull a few days before the Chief's death and the massacre at Wounded Knee. Both of which events have a profound effect on him.
And throughout the years, Wild Swan still remains the place where minds and bodies heal.
Like the previous two books, A Wild Legacy is an emotional roller coaster ride, spectacularly weaving together the lives of the Carrington-Falconers and American history. It has the added sadness of Alex and Rane's love story finally coming to an end. Although the manner of their deaths is tragic, it is also poignant and fitting.
The following generations continue to make their mark on an ever changing world, especially the women of the family, who balance their careers with being wives and mothers. For Lexy comes the realisation that she too can overcome her fears to strike the same balance and embrace whatever life brings her way.
A Wild Legacy brings to a satisfactory close this epic trilogy and, as the first two books, it is a powerful story of sacrifice, resilience, loss and love. This is one of the best family sagas I've ever read and, with its re-release, I'm sure many other readers will now get to enjoy the amazing talent of Celeste De Blasis.
Meet the Author
A native Californian, Celeste grew up on the historic Kemper Campbell Ranch in the Mojave Desert, where she lived until her death in 2001.
Where to Purchase
Amazon • Apple • Kobo • Google
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