August 5, 2021

Some authors write linear series where stories continue chronologically. Others write standalones, where there may be familiar characters who are loosely tied together, but you don’t necessarily need to read the books in order to get the full picture.

And then there is MA Foster.

She writes stories that are a web of connections. Characters from previous books pop up when you least expect, and backstories are rich in detail.

In short, she has created a complicated, real-world for her characters to inhabit. They live and breathe more than any author I have read recently. And the location of Heritage Bay feels familiar like I’ve taken a vacation there.

Everything is just that real.

In Legacy, we get Dylan and Katie. But it’s not as simple as “it’s their story.” The author doesn’t work that way. It does largely belong to Dylan, mainly because he is the family member who gets the focus this time. But each of their stories is full – Katie is not just a love interest. She has her own story as well.

This is where the author excels. Because again, it’s not necessarily linear. We get a lot of Dylan’s story, but we don’t know where Katie fits in until later in the book. By that point, you’ll be a full believer in fate.

I also like how Ms. Foster knows how to seamlessly move from emotion to scorching romance to accurate observations on life. She’s a consummate juggler. Even phrases such as “tomorrow is a gift, not a promise” that could seem trite seem absolutely natural coming from her characters. You believe them. You root for them. And by God, you feel for them.

Just when you think you have been hit with a helluva gut punch, she’s got another one ready for you. It’s not an over-exaggeration to say she knows how to get a reader in the feels…repeatedly. But again, that’s the strength of the characters and the world she has created. You get to know them personally.

Another point about the web of connections: this means that the reader gets to hear from characters whose stories have already been told – but from the current characters’ points of view.

For example, those who have read her past books know what has happened to Marcus. But he is here again as part of Dylan’s story. This method adds to the richness of the details and helps build that realism.

You’ll notice that I haven’t said much about Dylan and Katie’s story. I have my reasons, but first and foremost it’s because I firmly believe a reader needs to experience them on their own time and in their own way. If I tell you what happens to them, or how it happens that will ruin it.

You’ll just have to trust me that if you’ve read her past books (like Cougar and Baller) you’ll get more details on those characters as well. And if you thought that the characters in those books were complex…you haven’t met Dylan yet. Hold on.

It’s best to just let yourself move to Heritage Bay while you read and allow yourself to be immersed in the world MA Foster has created.

If you’re like me, you’ll be wishing they were real, and you could meet them.

She’s just that good.

When it comes to historical fiction novels, I love reading about new perspectives. Fortunately, I have been on a run of luck in that regard.

The historical, in this case, centers around four friends who worked as gunner girls in England during WWII. I learned a lot about their tasks and about the perspective of smaller towns during the war.

Books set in this period often center around major cities (Berlin, London, Paris), or in the smaller towns of France and Germany. Since a majority of the fighting was in and around the countries of those cities, it makes sense.

But it’s easy to forget that the war was much more widespread and even though there wasn’t actual land combat on a grand scale in England, there was a very real fear of German invasion.

I thought the author did a good job of relating the gunner girls’ lives. A simple diary entry followed by a detailed scene is an effective storytelling method. The chapters are an introduction followed by a tale.

Historical Fiction blog tour schedule — Amazon: https://bit.ly/3717o7f
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The diary is Nancy’s (which we know right away) and details her struggle with re-entering society after being de-mobbed. Once again, the author breaks fresh ground, because the difficulty women had after the war is often overlooked.

Come to think of it, that is a major theme of this book. England went to war as one country, but after the war, everything had changed. Societal expectations were the same, but different. And women who had responsibilities in the war were all of a sudden thrust back into traditional roles – but they knew they were capable of more.

I did feel like the “feminist” point of view verged on preachy a few times, but the author stayed just on the side of non-annoying. Nancy’s struggles felt real.

And in a strange way, they paralleled Lorna’s struggles as she tried to figure out her life without her husband. Both women were facing bold new worlds that they had to find their footing in. That was a nice connection between the two eras.

There’s a touch of mystery as well, as Lorna reads the diary and realizes that something must have happened to change the lives of the four gunner girls. I really enjoyed Lorna’s “sleuthing” as she tried to get more answers.

In fact, there is a great balance between the two eras. That’s not always the case. But this one had me eager to get back to each one as they alternated. They were separate stories but cleverly intertwined.

I would definitely recommend this book for a unique perspective on the roles of women in post-WWII England. There is a strong message that strength is in even the smallest things and moving forward is worth the struggle.

Additional Historical Fiction from this author: The Berlin Zookeeper

Facebook: @annastuartauthor
Twitter: @annastuartbooks.

Author Bio:
Anna Stuart lives in Derbyshire with her campervan-mad husband, two hungry teenagers and a slightly loopy dog. Having studied English literature at Cambridge university, she took an enjoyable temporary trip into the ‘real world’ as a factory planner, before returning to her first love and becoming an author. History has also always fascinated her. Anna loves the way that writing lets her ‘try on’ so many different lives, but her favourite part of the job is undoubtedly hearing from readers.