This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
The Legacy: Grandmother’s Treasures by Cherie Dargan is a delightful mystery that spans the Civil War and the present day. Sarah is a widowed schoolteacher whose husband was killed fighting for the Confederate cause. When her sister Emily and her baby son both die during childbirth, she is charged with the task of freeing their family’s slaves and taking them from Virginia to safety, somewhere in the free North. Along with four Union soldiers, two of whom are wounded, Sarah and her little band of refugees must navigate past both armies to Baltimore, Boston, and finally west to a new life. In the present day, Gracie and her boyfriend, David, are visiting Gracie’s grandmother, Molly, for the Christmas holidays. When Molly shows the pair a faded red and green quilt that she believes dates back to the Civil War, Gracie’s grandfather appears deeply upset by the quilt, and the young couple discovers they have a mystery to unravel that will impact the whole family and reveal an undercurrent of racism that still exists, even today.
The Legacy is a fascinating and riveting tale. Cherie Dargan used the setting of two distinct time periods to give the story a real twist. I particularly appreciated the impact of Bobby, the son of a plantation owner, and a black enslaved woman on the overall arc of the story. This is a standalone book despite being part of a series that deals with Gracie uncovering unexpected and complex histories of unusual quilts. The writing is engaging, and the characterization is well done. It was wonderful to follow Sarah, a strong, independent, and courageous widow, who nonetheless displayed her vulnerability, especially during the long, arduous journey from Virginia. The underlying darker tones of racism that surfaced, once the truth about the quilt’s provenance started to emerge, indicate the failure of society to fully accept the painful legacy of slavery and embrace the true pluralism of today’s society. I found the journey through the Underground Railway to be both enlightening and exciting. This is a wonderful read and one I highly recommend.
