After three years on a whaling voyage, Henry Macy returns to Nantucket to news that his grandmother has passed, bequeathing her vast fortune to him and his sister, Hitty. And it was truly vast. But Lillian Coffin was no fool. The inheritance comes with a steep cost, including when they should marry and whom–a Quaker in good standing, of course. But if they relinquish the inheritance, it all goes to Tristram Macy, their father’s thieving business partner.

 

As Hitty and Henry seek a way to satisfy the will’s conditions, they’ll be faced with obstacles on every side–and it may be that Lillian Coffin will have the last word after all.

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher surprises and delights with this story of hope and renewal, love and redemption, arriving just when most needed.

***

This is the third book in Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Nantucket Legacy series, which focuses on the Quakers of Nantucket. While I know I’m missing out on a lot of backstory to the characters, I had no problems getting into the book. It’s a well-written and thoroughly enjoyable story, actually becoming the cozy read I was looking for. It was interesting watching how Henry and Hitty both adjust to suddenly becoming wealthy. Hitty is absolutely against it. Wealth, to her, corrupts, and she has no interest in changing her simple lifestyle. She works at the Cent School and moons over a quiet single father who seems to take little notice of her. Moving into her grandmother’s big house feels like moving into prison, and the fortune her grandmother’s chains.

Henry on the other hand, sees the situation differently. He’s always been a man who’s taken long to make up his own mind. It’s why his romance with Anna Gardner has been stagnant all those years. But now, it’s like a light bulb turned on. Even though his grandmother’s fortune comes with strings designed to control their lives from even beyond the grave, Henry has an idea to thwart it and use his grandmother’s wealth to benefit the people in Nantucket. But learning to use the wealth comes with problems of its own.

I really enjoyed the characters in the story. All of them were well-developed, although I will probably forever hold a grudge against Hitty. Anyone who views reading as boring and worse, cuts up a book with scissors, earns them no brownie points with me. 😛 But I digress.

While the story is light, it does touch on the issues of segregation and religious differences, and how they could divide neighbor against neighbor. I loved the messages found inside the book. Of how you shouldn’t underestimate a person’s value or sacrifice your calling to try to match other people’s expectations. And most importantly, seeking God’s Light and letting Him lead you in life.

Verdict: A solid story with great characters and heart. Buy immediately.

(I received a free copy of the book from the publisher and author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)