Heritage of Shadows by Madeline Brent

I remember reading a few Madeline Brent novels years ago, but they never really stood out, as compared to my gothic favorites, Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney. I barely remember them, although the plots are vaguely familiar when I read about them at Amazon. I guess I stopped reading them before this one was published. But since a good friend (and fellow angst lover) recommended this one, I decided to take another look.

Heritage of Shadows by Madeline Brent
(1983, 1890's Europe) 3/11/08
Grade: 4.5

18-year old Hannah McLeod is working as a waitress in Paris in 1891. Although her life is modest, she finds happiness in her indepenence, as well as the kind painter next door. But when she’s forced to return to England to work as a governess, she quickly discovers that she’s become a pawn in a revenge plot, that reveals the secret life she put behind her.

This began as a well-written gothic novel, in the style of Victoria Holt. The heroine was strong and well characterized, and the story familiar but well done. At least, I thought it was heading down the usual path, when it took a surprising turn, one that I wasn’t expecting. It’s been a long time since a book really surprised me, but this one did. As we learn more about Hannah’s past, she becomes even more courageous and interesting. (There is a certain stiltedness about her, which was a convention in these kinds of books, but I got used to it after a while.) Unfortunately, the men in her life are less developed, although I appreciated that she ended up with the nice guy who cared for her from the beginning, rather than the usual gothic hero. I thought the side trip to Mexico, in the last section of the book, was unnecessary and somewhat cliched (I would rather have seen more in-depth development of her relationship with Toby) but overall, this was a very enjoyable and memorable read.

I guess I've become a cynical romance reader - I can recognize most romance plot "twists" long before they make their appearance. But this book genuinely surprised me - maybe because I wasn't expecting this type of twist in an old-fashioned gothic, maybe because it wasn't given the typical romance novel treatment. It's been quite a while since I found myself surprised by the way a book develops, especially while still being emotionally true to the characters.