Family Inheritance

Enjoyed the book very much. Could relate to the characters and felt their emotions through the author's narrative. Will recommend this author to our customers and look forward to seeing more of her books.

Family Inheritance by Terri Ann Leidich is a story of abuse, infidelity and rape. But more importantly, it is a story of forgiveness, acceptance and personal growth.

Three sisters are reunited at their dying mother’s bedside. They have lived through a very abusive loveless childhood. The three sisters have not seen each other in many, many years and they have all tried to bury their pasts. Because of this, they are all living highly dysfunctional lives. One sister is living with a husband who has had multiple affairs and a son who has begun drinking. Another sister is an alcoholic who can only get close to a man when she is drunk. The third sister, who is greatly overweight, is married to an abusive drunk.

It is not until they are all reunited that they are forced to face their past and the feelings that they have buried deep inside. They all come to the realization that the only way they can improve their futures is to deal with the past and try for forgiveness. They each deal with this in their own ways and it is a struggle for all of them. Can they forgive their mother, their father, each other and themselves to move into a brighter future?

Family Inheritance is a well written book that deals with serious social issues. The emotions contained in the book seem very real to me and at times felt gut-wrenching. From the very first page I was drawn into the drama and I had to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next.

The writing style flows smoothly and this was a quick easy read (although at times the emotional turmoil was hard to read about). The writing was raw and emotional, descriptive and informative. The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. You cannot help being drawn to them and into their worlds.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written fictional story, that is based on some sad truths of our society. And to anyone who enjoys an emotional, thought provoking read. This is the first book that I have red from this author and I am looking forward to reading more of her books.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and BQB Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a very dark novel with adversity and strength. Abuse and family discourse are major players in this story. The title Family Inheritance does not mean money or land. It is more about the cycle of abuse that travels through a family and everyone it touches.

The abuse is very stout in places and I had to set the book aside to catch my breath and take a break. I love how the sisters find their way back into each other's lives. The courage each sister portrays as they each handle their own adversity is amazing.

A very courageous read! 4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and BQB Publishing for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy of Family Inheritance by Terri Ann Leidich.

Make sure you have a fresh box of tissues by your side, because Family Inheritance will leave you reaching for many a tissue. Terri Ann Leidich has written a gripping, moving heart filled tale of three sisters each battling their own demons. I was hooked early on and completely absorbed in the sisters’ story. Family Inheritance is well written, raw and honest. A compelling read and one I would recommend.

Very thought-provoking, but a bit predictable. This is a very dysfunctional family, and the 3 daughters grow up to have their own family problems. When their mother goes into a diabetic coma, her daughters are called in. Even though they haven't seen each other, or even spoken, in years, they gradually realize they still have a strong bond. They discover need to hold onto each other and make a dark journey through their past so that they can confront their demons (specifically, deal with the harm done to them as a result of their father's alcoholism). It's heartbreaking to think that, unfortunately, this story is probably a bit to realistic for too many readers, but this is a book that will give readers hope for a better life.

At first I diidn't think I would like this book because it seemed like a cookie cutter theme, but it hooked me from the beginning. I thotoughly loved this book and would encourage anyone and everyone to read this book. It is wonderfule read!!!

I was a bit uneasy about reading it as reviews said there was incest and abuse (yes, there was both). Very sensitive topics that were very well handled. The flashbacks and episodes were not too graphic. There was one sexual scene (not of a rape nature) and that was a bit surprising so far in the book. I cried several times reading this and it made me think of how our families can influence us so much for several generations. 5 of 5 stars for me and I think this book would be great for reading groups that aren't afraid to tackle tough topics.

I was provided with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Family Inheritance by Terri Ann Leidich is a tale that deals with a lot of heart-wrenching emotions - revolving around emotional betrayal, abuse, adultery and rape. The book talks about how one grows beyond the scars that life leaves on them. On learning that their mom is about to meet her end, three sisters journey back to their childhood to be by their mother's side. The three have grown away from each other and have also deliberately maintained islanded lives, tyring to forget their pasts. The three had undergone a very emotionally challenging and abusive time as children. Added to this, all three of them have been unfortunately assigned to unhappy present-day lives as well. They realise that the only way to gain strength to face their present and the future is to not run away from the past, but to face it, acknowledge and forgive the players in their pasts.

This is a very moving book, not meant for casual reading at all. The reader is made to empathise with, and feel the pain that the characters deal with in the book. The narration is done well. Although the situation is made out to be very grim and the author handles it well, the only aspect that the reader wishes is that there seems a stereotype that the author could have avoided. For instance, the third sister faces weight issues and there are many mentions of the adjective that the author uses to describe her body size. The other two sisters also face emotional challenges. While the first sister is married to an adulterous man, the second one is made to be an alcoholic and herself. The author narrates how the turn of events seem a result of the emotional conditions of the sisters, impacted by their pasts. The characters draw one into them.

I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of books dealing with family dramas and social issues.

My rating for this book: 4 stars

Review Links

http://simpliread.blogspot.com/2014/11/book-review-family-inheritance-by-terri.html https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3703112-roasted-coffee-bean/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1QJZ3D1X3OXDV/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdp

Family is such a loaded word. It can bring fond memories or memories that we would like to forget. Family Inheritance is not about the “stuff” but about the cycles that keep repeating themselves in a dysfunctional family. Terri Ann Leidich weaves the struggles of 3 sisters who just want to forget the past of their childhood and survive their present.
The oldest sister Helene left her home of Minnesota to a life in Atlanta with the big house, a son who does well in school and husband that provides well for his family. However, the life that seems perfect is falling at the seams. Her husband seeks other women, and her son has taken to skipping school and drinking. Helene resorts to what she knows from her childhood, she sweeps everything under the rug. She toils to fix people by being responsible for her family short-comings.
Sometimes you marry your father. In Alice’s case, this is not a good thing. Alice is the middle child. Her husband is abusive in every way. Alice has never known encouragement, security or love. When she is made aware of the sexual abuse that her daughter is now enduring, she leaves her husband and starts the journey of rebuilding her life and those of her children. She is in a constant battle of not giving up and fighting for the things that some take for granted.
Suzanne the youngest suffered the sexual abuse of her father. She left home determined never to be controlled by any man and with that determination became successful in business. She becomes married to a great guy but because she does not know how to be intimate, she resorts to drinking which destroys her marriage. She has an identity crisis. She does not know who she is or does not know how to be close to others. The sisters are brought together when their mother becomes ill. They have been estranged from each other for many years; however, coming together they discover a new strength and the will to make things right one step at a time. The walls that each one has built to protect themselves with start to crumble. Real issues are brought forth in this story which I greatly appreciated. You may find yourself connecting to these women in their struggles to overcome the oppression and fear they suffered. Until you live in oppression and in fear, you cannot judge the action and struggle of those that do. A special thank you BQB Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

For me, this was a superbly written and well thought out developed book. Full of emotions.

We have three sisters who have not been in touch for many years until their Mother got sick.

We see how each of they're lives are now. Each one very different from their siblings.

One sister is in a good job.
Another sister is married with a family.
The other sister is overweight and married with a family.

The reason I have said she is 'overweight' is played out quite good in this story, I can see why she turns to her chocolate bars for love, for comfort. Her marriage is abusive. We see this unfolding as time goes on.

In fact, we see that none of the sisters lives are in fact as good as each other thinks it is.

Then we have a flashing of what happened in their past.

I loved this book. It shows us how by not communicating, by not understanding and assuming that other's have a better life than you, its not always the case. It also shows how the past reflects and dominoe's on our future [if we allow it]

The sisters grew together, getting to know each other all over again, supporting each other while their Mother was critically ill in a coma.

This is the first book I have read by Terri Ann Leidich so I will be seeking out more of her books, I adore her style.

I have to thank BQB Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. I appreciate it.

I found this book to be extremely interesting and couldn't put it down. I laughed, I cried and was sad when it ended. I became very attached to the characters.

Estranged from each other and their parents from the time they were old enough to leave home, because of unexpressed and unresolved childhood abuses of varying degrees...
Three sisters, are brought together when their mother is admitted to hospital in a diabetic coma. After an absence of many years the women struggle to make peace, not just with each other, but also with their [comatose] mother, each one believing she was negligent in her duty of care to them as children.
They blame each other for desertion and lack of solidarity, never realising that they had each suffered their own private traumas.

Unbeknownst to each other, each of the sisters, emotionally scarred in their own way had decided it would be better to live far away, without acknowledging family, because to do so would mean facing their respective demons...something just too hard to contemplate. So they cut all ties and walked away as they came of age, each one feeling justified in believing that they were betrayed by the other, and by the parents who were meant to protect them.

For two of the sisters, their independent lives become far removed from the reality of their upbringing and they make good of their lives....though they are never completely able to keep the demons at bay and are each affected and tormented in different ways.

We follow the lives of the three adult sisters as they struggle to make independent lives for themselves, encumbered as they are with the permanent and debilitating scars of their past.
This is a very thought provoking and often difficult book to read because of its emotive and confronting subject material. Several serious issues are brought to light and looked at in some depth.
The topics covered include child abuse, sexual abuse, mental and physical abuse, obesity, death, alcoholism and not least, incest.
I think this book could prove cathartic for some who might identify with some of these issues, or anyone wishing to understand how these things can and do happen. It is very easy to read in spite of the subjects covered, and offers some very sound psychological insight.

4★s Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for my copy to read and review.

Not even sure where to start with this book.... I guess the best way is to start by saying that this book does have painful topics in it that may be sensitive to some readers.

This book is heartfelt and emotional. The way things were for these girls will tear you up. This book is hard to put down as well so I suggest that you have a box of tissue while reading.

*Received for an honest review*