Windfall

In the mid-1930s, all of England --- especially the jet-setting upper class that brushes elbows with royalty on occasion --- is abuzz with rumors of the new young king, Edward VIII, and his scandalous relationship with the American divorcee, Wallis Warfield Simpson, a love affair that will create a constitutional crisis and ultimately result in Edward's abdication of the throne. This real-life historical drama lies in the background of WINDFALL, Penny Vincenzi's latest book to be released in the United States (it was originally published in the United Kingdom in 1997). The royal crisis underscores several of the novel's themes, most notably the transition between a "traditional" understanding of marriage and sexuality to one that more closely resembles our modern views. Vincenzi also explores the life-altering conflict between desire and duty and how it seems that a person can have one or the other, but never both. Cassia Tallow, the complex heroine of WINDFALL, discovers her own conflict between duty and desire almost as soon as the novel opens when Cassia receives a large inheritance from her recently deceased godmother whom she had thought was penniless. She is now rich beyond her wildest dreams. At first, Cassia is drawn to the expected luxuries: a fancy sports car and chic clothes that she, as the mother of three young children and wife of a humble country doctor, could never have afforded before. Soon, however, Cassia sets her sights somewhat higher as she realizes that this unexpected wealth might enable her to revive her own dreams of becoming a practicing physician, dreams that were thwarted when an unexpected pregnancy and reluctant marriage put an end to her promising medical school career. But her husband, Edward, who struggled to pass medical school, grows increasingly resentful of Cassia's aspirations. He initiates a war of passive aggression that escalates when Cassia rents a house in London and when Edward sends their oldest son, only six years old, to boarding school. Meanwhile, Cassia's medical work near London has brought her back into the fashionable crowd with whom she associated in her younger, unmarried days. These include the second-rate actor Rupert Cameron, her oldest friend and first love, and the maddeningly stubborn and rakishly attractive Harry Moreton, who has long professed his alternating passion for and annoyance with Cassia. Fueled by her new financial independence, Cassia finds herself making questionable choices that could affect not only her friends but also her entire family. And, to complicate matters, Cassia soon starts to suspect that the inheritance from her godmother might not be quite what it seems, and it could even have a few strings attached. WINDFALL starts by focusing quite exclusively on Cassia's own story, beginning with her discovery of the inheritance and, through a series of flashbacks, introducing readers to the character's history. As the novel does so, however, it also broadens gradua

A great Vincenzi novel, as usual. Just what you want when you order her books. It has all the usual elements and story twists and turns. As with all of her books, I find myself reading until 1:00 am and waking up red-eyed in the morning. Buy it. This book, in particular, will not disappoint!

In London by1935, Cassia Tallow has been married to a practicing doctor Edward for seven years while she has stayed home to raise their three young children. She is somewhat envious of her spouse as she also was trained as a doctor, but he insists she stay at home. Cassia is scrubbing the alter steps when she learns she inherited a fortune from her godmother, Lady Beatty, who drank Champagne with the rich, aristocratic and famous like Edward VIII. With a half a million pounds, Cassia has the means to join the upper crust if she chooses or practice medicine to the neglected working-class women as she once dreamed of; something her husband objects to. However, Cassia soon begins to learn that her liberating windfall may not rightfully belong to her; ethical as always, she investigates with a need to learn the truth. Sometimes the truth will not set you free as Cassia learns that with each revelation comes increasing danger. This a typical entertaining Penny Vincenzi historical thriller as the ethical heroine tries to do what is right, but finds that dangerous. Cassia makes the story line work as her actions after learning of her WINDFALL place her in opposition with her demanding spouse and to a degree her children, but eventually she goes after what she wants for herself: providing medical care to impoverish women. Fans of the author and those who enjoy a between World Wars English historical will want to read Ms. Vincenzi's blockbuster bonkbuster as the British would say over a cup of Earl Grey. Harriet Klausner

I love Penny Vincenzi's books. After buying all the ones available in the U.S., I started ordering the rest from the U.K. or second hand sellers and now own all 13. However, I'm taking my time reading them -- spacing them out so as to have some to look forward to. Like rich food, you don't want to read two Vincenzi blockbusters in a row. WINDFALL is my eleventh to read and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's funny about this book, though. The back cover copy calls the main character Cassia Fallon, (the single other reviewer here calls her Fallon, too) yet in the book her name is Cassia Tallow, not Fallon. I find that extremely odd. The book begins when Cassia (for Cassiopeia, after the constellation) Tallow, an unhappy, frustrated housewife stuck in a small village with her G.P. doctor husband and three young children, receives a windfall inheritance from her godmother of more than 500,000 pounds. The year is 1935, so I figure in today's money, that amount equates to around 25 million pounds. The money changes Cassia's life -- enables her to become the person she always thought she would be -- independent, able to resume her medical career if she chooses, able to buy anything she desires. But what seems to be an undreamed of blessing soon shows itself to also be the instrument that may destroy her marriage and her reputation. The story unfolds the way all of Vincenzi's stories unfold: filled with larger-than-life characters, drama, suspense, thrills, sex, jewels, gorgeous homes and clothes, and lush descriptions of the lives of the rich and privileged of English aristocracy. Vincenzi's novels are extremely compelling reading. Once you start one, all you want to do is read it non-stop. WINDFALL is no exception.

Cassie Fallon though a non-practicing medical doctor is an ordinary housewife with two small kids and wife to Dr, Edward Fallon; when she learns that she has inherited half a million pounds from her godmother Leanora who lived in Paris. Reluctant to spend any part of this fortune, she and her husband start to ponder why Leanora would have left such a large amount of money or any at all for that matter, when they were made to believe that she had died penniless. The solictor has no idea and encourages them to stop worrying and take the money.The Fallons start to spend the first set of Cassie's inheritance on refurbishing Edward's medical facilities which ajoin the house and then they redo their home. Admidst all these renovations Cassie takes a good look at herself and decides that she needs a makeover of sorts. She flies to London where she purchases a new brand car, much to Edward's distaste, and with her desire to restart her medical pratice, Cassie's sets her sights on half-baked and far-fetched plans, letting the money go straight to her head. She enjoys herself on big spending sprees buying clothing, accessories, hats in all colours, and shoes. Anything to make her look chic and not like the old Cassie. Along with the package comes new friends in London who she tries to emulate in dress code, and she has never looked better.Intent on setting up a home in London as she commits herself to working in a clinic there, she becomes extremely selfish with her time spending lots of time away from Edward and her little ones. In fact she now sees her husband's practice in the country as a dead end job and challenges him to transfer to London which would be more lucrative for him, but he bluntly refuses for he greatly dislikes the idea of her working again and he is not comfortable with London or her new found friends. Plus he argues that there would be nobody else to give aid to his country folk. How could he just leave them out in the cold?As her relationship with her husband quivers on shaky ground, Cassie Fallon wings with the jet set, ignoring him and neglecting her children. She tells lies, commits infidelities amd becomes a bigger spendrift as the time passes.With the assortment of loveable and unloveable characters the suspense of this novel is killing. Read it and you'll find out where the fortune actually came from and the circumstances that drove Cassie Fallon to travel to France and even Africa for answers to this big question. As usual, Penny Vincenzi's never fails her readers. This is another delightful one from her that I highly recommend.Heather MarshallSeptember 3rd 2001