The Inheritance

Easy and light, so a good choice if that's what you're in the mood for. The text is in short sections, sometimes only a quarter of a page, which makes it easy to stop and start but hard to keep track of the action, which skitters around, as do the characters. The setting--the English country estate of minor aristocracy in the mid-1960s--is interesting and sounds mostly accurate, though I wonder if English fathers and teenage daughters really discussed extramarital sex casually and openly in those days. A turn-off for me was the reminder of how that class, at that time, indulged in extreme cruelty to animals. (It's not in every scene, of course.) All in all, the journey was a bit bumpy but quite fun, and I never considered abandoning the book. Three months later, I can still see scenes in my mind, a testament to Annabel Dilke's descriptions.

In this work we meet the Chandlers; an aristocratic British family and we are taken into the closet of their world. We follow them as their lives go from noble to normal. We see that even with those who have 'blue' blood,' life still throws some curves as the family struggles with lifes events, both good and bad. If you enjoy works that are full of the times of aristocratics, their challenges from financial demise to romantic joys and sorrows; this one is for you. A book showing no matter what status we hold in life,life will still have its way. Very good storyline.

In the 1960s at the grand estate of Egerton, Alice Chandler is to marry her childhood friend Edward, who is acceptable to her aristocratic father Harry because the groom comes from a wealthy titled family. Still eighteen years old Alice has doubts as she does not love Edward except as an amiable kind hearted brother. She tries to tell her father that one should only marry for love, but he refuses to halt the upcoming nuptials. She has no one else to turn to as her clever older sister Eve concentrates on attending Oxford while mom is buried in the weeds of pulling off the society wedding of the year. Eve is upset that her younger but much prettier sibling is marrying before her though she hides her feelings while Alice's thoughts remain on Marcus, an impoverished aristocrat who is unacceptable by her family. The womanizing Harry has forced his humiliated spouse to seek solace elsewhere; lonely Eve risks her academic future on a tryst; doubting Alice begins an affair with Marcus; finally her younger wastrel brother continues to act like he has no future. Fans of mid twentieth century aristocratic dramas will want to read the deep character driven THE INHERITANCE. Each member of the Chandler family comes across an individual with flaws somewhat covered up by wealth and title, but dishonest decisions impact everyone's happiness for decades to come. The story line follows the various Chandlers over the years, but especially concentrates on the pivotal moments surrounding the wedding. Though the deep story line contains no action, Annabel Dilke provides a potent look at the English aristocracy whose veneer of polite moral behavior begins to fade as truths surface. Harriet Klausner