Customer Reviews

The Prodigal Wife: A Novel

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The Prodigal Wife is weaker than the other books in the series (not as long, rehashes previous plots), but if you loved the first three, you'll enjoy this fourth offering, as well. I love Marcia Willet's writing, so even her weaker efforts are worth more to me than the majority of fiction books being published these days.

If you haven't read the previous Chadwick Family Chronicles, you owe it to yourself to read those first!

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)

Honestly, I don't care that Willett head hops constantly (even to the point of giving us the dogs' point of view), I don't care that the book is highly introspective, that she rehashes, pretty much verbatim, scenes from the first three books in the Chadwick Chronicles, nor do I care that sometimes her plots are thin. The thing is, Marcia Willett gives us characters to love. From page one, we feel an emotional connection to them, and we CARE. I could no more put one of Willett's books down than stop breathing. She is a marvelous writer whose characters live and breathe on the pages, and I feel I am there with them, experiencing everything they are experiencing. Even if all she gave us were her exceptional descriptions of English country life, her books would be worth the money you pay, but she gives us so much more. It was absolutely wonderful to revisit The Keep and to catch up with Hal, Fliss, Jolyon, and the others. Now that I have, I want to go back and re-read the first three books in this series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The extended Chadwick Family we first met in Looking Forward, Holding On, and Winning Through is back in this fourth installment. Although Fliss, Hal, and Prue are prominent, new characters come into play to show that sometimes the Chadwicks do move outside the family and off the grounds of The Keep, the ancestral home that has been a safe haven for generations.

Jolyon, the young boy hungry for his mother's love, is now a grown man and has seemingly moved past his abandonment. Now a famous TV star with his own gardening show, he is thrown off course when his mother, Maria, decides it is time for her to make up for past wrongs. Jolyon also meets Henrietta, a young woman with whom he falls in love. Her view of marriage is as skewed as Jolyon's because of her mother's infidelity and her father's abandonment. Can two such emotionally damaged souls heal?

Henrietta's mother, Cordelia, also is a major character in this story. A suspenseful stalking story involving her seems intriguing, but falters badly. In addition, we don't see enough of Suzanne, Gus, and their family. However, the feel-good atmosphere that always surrounds the Chadwicks is here in full force and readers will rejoice as the family exchanges Christmas presents and the curtain closes on a fairy-tale ending.

I am currently reading this book and loving it. Marcia Willett is a wonderful writer. I love England and she paints pictures with words. I can "see" the places and people she writes about.

Renowned TV gardening show host Jolyon accompanied by his beloved girlfriend Henrietta returns to the family estate the Keep that has been owned and occupied by Chadwicks for several generations, to celebrate a birthday with family. However, he is unaware that his mother, whom has not seen in about fifteen years, has come to the Keep to spend quality time with him. Jo's father Henry and his stepmother Fliss worry how he will react to seeing the woman who abandoned him.

Maria feels alone since her spouse Adam died. She wants to make amends with her son as spending Christmas alone for the first time weighs heavy on her. Although Hal is receptive and Fliss kind, Jo refuses to believe his mother wants to end their estrangement; instead he assumes Maria wants a piece of his fame. Hal feels guilty for his role in the break-up as he never emotionally moved beyond his Fliss even after he was married to Maria and Henrietta struggles with the end of her parents' marriage. Although constantly rejected by her son, Maria refuses to quit trying as she knows she failed Jo.

The latest Chadwick Family Chronicle (see Looking Forward, Holding On and Winning Through) is an engaging entry that focuses on Jo and Maria as the latter tries to atone for the hurt she caused to the former. The story line is character driven as the Chadwick family look back to events already showcased in the previous entries, but with new perspective especially at Maria who came across as an uncaring rat whenever mentioned in the earlier tales. Although the Christmas Tree ending provides some closure, it feels more of a set up for book five rather than a clean climax. Still fans of the saga will relish this fine entry.

Harriet Klausner

Love this author and was thrilled to get the book at such a great price and so promptly.

Also appreciate not having to leave home and hunt for an item, just log onto Amazon, quickly find what I'm looking for and hit purchase. Amazon also watches what I like and informs me whats available.

The book arrived in perfect shape, and in plenty of time to take along for reading on a cruise - I was very pleased with every aspect of my transaction.

I've read many (not all) of Willet's books and am equally touched by the characters of the books. She does an amazing job creating characters you care about! You want to know what happens next to each person when you finish the book because you feel like you truly know them. She's poses interesting questions throughout that make you think about your own relationships and behaviors. A truly enjoyable read that you'll want to re-read!