When conflict photographer Jackson Swann dies, he leaves
behind a conflict of his own making when his three daughters, each born to a
different mother, discover that they're now responsible for the family's Oregon
vineyard -- and for a family they didn't ask for.
After a successful career as a child TV star, Tess is,
for the first time, suffering from a serious identity crisis, and grieving for
the absent father she's resented all her life.
Charlotte, brought up to be a proper Southern wife, gave
up her own career to support her husband's political ambitions. On the worst
day of her life, she discovers her beloved father has died, she has two sisters
she never knew about and her husband has fallen in love with another woman.
Natalie, daughter of Jack's longtime mistress, has always
known about her half-sisters, and has dreaded the day when Tess and Charlotte
find out she's the daughter their father kept.
As the sisters reluctantly gather at the vineyard,
they're soon enchanted by the Swann family matriarch and namesake of Maison de
Madeleine wines, whose stories of bravery in WWII France and love for a wounded
American soldier will reveal the family legacy they've each inherited and
change the course of all their lives.
Terrific story of family, love, loss, and healing, combined
with some fascinating WW2 history. I loved seeing the three sisters go from
wary strangers to loving and supportive siblings as they got to know each
other, their grandmother, and their family history.
The story opens as Jackson Swann, conflict photographer
and father of three daughters - from different mothers, nears the end of his
battle with cancer. He has many regrets, not the least of which are his shortcomings
as a father. In the end, all he can do is give them each other and the family
they never knew. In the little bit of Jack we see, it is evident that he is
driven by his need to show the starkness of the conflicts he photographs. As
much as he would like to be the kind of father his father was, he can't change
who he is. Most of what we learn of Jack comes through the memories from other
people, except for the videos he leaves for each daughter. I liked the honesty
of his last words to each one.
Tess is the oldest daughter, born from Jackson's very brief
marriage with her mother. Jackson played no part in her life, causing Tess to
refer to him as simply "the sperm donor." A former child TV star and
currently a bestselling author of books for teens, Tess isn't interested when
Donovan, her father's lawyer, comes to tell her of his death and her inheritance.
However, with a case of writer's block and a looming decision about her
writing, Tess decides that an Oregon getaway might be just what she needs. Tess
knows of Charlotte's existence, but not about Natalie.
Raised by her high society, Southern belle mother,
Charlotte rarely saw her father. Jack's relationship with his wife was volatile
at best, and Charlotte would retreat in the face of their arguments. The best
thing Jack did for Charlotte was encourage her to pursue her dream of interior
design and never forget her passion for her work. However, her mother's
influence remained strong, and Charlotte found herself putting her career on
the back burner when she married a politically ambitious man. On the same day
she learns of her father's death, she discovers her husband is cheating on her.
Suddenly, escaping to Oregon sounds like a swell idea. Charlotte had no idea
she had sisters before learning of Jack's death.
Natalie is the youngest daughter and the one who saw the
most of Jack. Like Jack, she is a talented photographer, though she focuses on
the lighter side of life. Natalie is still grieving the loss of her mother when
Donovan tells her about Jack's death. She's always known about her sisters and
wanted to meet them, but now she's nervous about it. Will they like her, or
will they resent the amount of time she got to spend with Jack?
Madeleine is Jack's mother. She is a French war bride and
former resistance fighter whose husband turned his family farm into a vineyard
and built a French-style house to make her feel more at home. Though devastated
by her son's death, Madeleine is thrilled to have all three of her granddaughters
under one roof. She immediately makes them feel welcomed and loved.
Gideon is the widowed father of a teenage girl. When Jack's
father died, leaving the vineyard and winery to him, Jack immediately hired
Gideon to run the place for him. As the story opens, Gideon worries about his
job if the winery ends up sold.
I loved watching the relationships develop. Each of the
sisters had a different kind of relationship with her father. I liked seeing
them sit down and share their experiences, gaining insight into Jack and his
issues. None of them expected to inherit anything and were stunned to discover
that they would share ownership of the winery with Gideon. The only caveat was
that they had to stay through the harvest before any of them could sell their
share to Gideon. With that requirement, each of them became more invested in the
business's success and brainstormed ideas of changes they could make.
Another big part of remaining in Oregon was the chance to
get to know Madeleine. Sprinkled throughout the book are flashbacks to her time
with the French Resistance. Her progression through the ranks kept me
intrigued, and more so when she rescued the American pilot who would later
become her husband. The narration of their escape into Spain had me glued to
the pages until they were safe. Madeleine's story provided a burst of
inspiration for Tess, who needed a new direction for her writing.
Each of the sisters faces a turning point in her life,
and their time in Oregon gives them the space and support to make their
changes. Tess has reached the end of her long-running teen series and wonders
what to do next. Before settling on telling her grandmother's story, she also
considered a wine-themed murder mystery. I enjoyed seeing her bounce ideas off
Gideon as he taught her about the vineyard and winery. Charlotte faces the end
of her marriage and realizing that she allowed her husband to chip away at her
self-confidence and self-worth. I loved watching her rekindle her love for
design and how the support of her family boosted her confidence. Her joy at
arranging the celebration of Jack's life lit up the pages, and also using her
skills to improve the winery. I loved the scene where she told off her husband.
Meanwhile, Natalie looks at whether to risk her friendship with the man she secretly
loves.
Along with learning the wine business and family history,
romance also finds its way into each sister's life. For years, Natalie has been
in love with her father's lawyer, Donovan, but hesitates to make a move. Their
friendship is solid, and she doesn't want to lose it, but neither does she want
to lose out on the possibility that it's returned. As outsiders, the reader can
see that Donovan is just as conflicted. I loved seeing Natalie take matters
into her own hands and had to laugh at Donovan's reaction. Charlotte is the
wariest of the trio, still reeling from what she sees as her poor judgment. However,
she isn't entirely man-averse as we see her show an interest in the man helping
with the winery renovations.
Most of the romantic attention goes to the growing
feelings between Tess and Gideon. They connected from the first day Tess
arrived. I enjoyed seeing his amusement at how she would plot murders as he
explained various steps in winemaking. It wasn't long before the sparks flew
between them. I laughed out loud when Gideon's daughter pushed him to ask Tess
out, even advising on the type of date it should be. I liked that both Tess and
Gideon are mature enough to be honest about their feelings. I loved the scene
at the restaurant as Gideon nervously but eloquently told Tess how he felt, and
Tess's reaction made me grin.
I loved the epilogue, which showed the sisters eighteen
months later. The changes in their lives are remarkable and something none of
them had foreseen. I do wish that there had been more time spent on Charlotte
and Natalie's romances. I loved the nod at the end to the author's Shelter Bay
series, one of my all-time favorites.
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