Customer Reviews

Looking Forward (The Chadwick Family Chronicles)

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I was excited to start this book knowing it was the first of a trilogy and that if I liked it, there would be at least two more books to continue the story. Having just finished it, I can honestly say I think it is one of Marcia Willett's best. That's saying a lot since I've read all her other books except for this trilogy of the Chadwick Family.

Fliss, Mole, and Susanna are orphaned when their parents and older brother are killed in a vicious attack in Kenya. The children are sent back to England to take up residence with their paternal grandmother, the kindly Freddy, who lives on the family estate known simply as The Keep. A magnificent storyteller, Willett is able to introduce us to this unforgettable Chadwick family and keep us enthralled as she relates the intricacies and hidden secrets, the joys and triumphs the family members encounter. In addition to the four mentioned previously, the reader will meet Theo, Prue, Caroline, Kit, Hal, Ellen, Fox, and others whose love and compassion, generosity and humor, guide the younger generation of Chadwicks to adulthood. It is a compelling family drama set in the secluded English countryside of Devon. Poignantly told and very readable, this is the type of book I find it impossible to put down until the last page is devoured.

A MUST READ BEFORE READING THE PRODIGAL WIFE BY MARCIA WILLETT-IT SETS THE THEME FOR THE FINAL STORY

Story line is good. Bought it because (sadly) I have gone through all of Rosamunde Pilcher books and there is none left for me to read. I read a review of this author stating that she writes in the "tradition" or style, I guess, of Pilcher. I find this to be somewhat true. However, I find some of the descriptions of nature eg; a garden, trees, or a view, etc. a bit too longwinded and drawn out. I find myself skimming over these sections to get on with the story. Please note that I don't dislike nature or beauty or sections in a book describing the aforementioned.

Looking Forward (The Chadwick Family Chronicles) Marcia Willett's trilogy about the Chadwick Family is a wonderful set of novels that takes you through the family dynasty. Anyone who loves novels set during the war years when so much emotion spills onto every page will love these three books. I have read them over and over again and never tire of the wonderful characters, the well described scenery and the path of all the different relationships. Very down to earth and quite real. You want more of this family when it comes to the end.

I had Marcia Willet's Chadwick Family Chronicles on my list of books to order for a long time, and finally treated myself to the entire four books. Oh what a delight! I never would have waited so long had I known how good they were --my only disappointment was when they had ended.

I read all the time, but only rarely run across books that make me think about the characters long after I've finished the books. I grew to know and love the Chadwick family! This is Marcia Willet at her best. She is often advertised as writing in the tradition of Rosamunde Pilcher (another of my favorite writers), but she is a gifted writer who deserves her own recognition.

Here is the order of the series and the publishing dates:

1. Looking Forward (1998)
2. Holding on (1999)
3. Winning Through (2000)
4. The Prodigal Wife (2009)