The Heron Legacy centers on the teen, and then 30something adult, Charles Fontaine. Between his youth spent with his historian uncle, Theodore, in his isolation ancestral land in Belgium to his adults years working as a lawyer at his father's firm in New York City, Charles is on a quest to unravel the mysteries of his family's past and discover his true place in the world.

In terms of technicalities and even of style, this book is fine. Language is the writer's tool and that tool has been wielded deftly here. But when it comes to narrative structure, there's lots to be desired. We begin with a lengthy tale of Charles' younger years spend exploring the vast grounds of his ancestral home and hearing the stories of myth and legend surrounding that land stretching all the way back to the medieval crusades. Just when the reader is knee deep in this world and bought in, the narrative changes. It's not that a move across the seas is at issue: we're still exploring Charles' teenaged adjustment to this change. Instead, the tale skips from a moment in time in which he's defied his father to one in which, inexplicably, he's bent to the will of that paternal authority and is a different person altogether. No reason and without insight into the journey that led from there to here. The subsequent near middle-aged attempt to get back to who Charles truly is feels unearned, as the reader has not experienced all the small and large compromises of soul that lead Charles to become so unidentifiable.

Add to that a heaping helping of anti-American sentiment that belies that author's background and biases (telling rather than showing all the way along), and this historical fiction/coming of age story is one missed the mark, for me.

Charles Fontaine grew up in Belgium listening to his Uncle Theodore’s tales of the Great Crusades and their ancestor. He longs to be a historian too, but his father insists he study law and join his practice.
I found the beginning to be slow. I made it into part two before skipping forward. I just couldn’t get into the story. It sounds enticing and others enjoyed it, but it’s not for me.

Charles Fontaine returns to Europe to sell his family’s ancestral domain and finds that a twelfth-century legend still haunts the property. Clues lead him to a parchment relating the curious tale of a village seeress, whose music enchanted a nobleman with shadowy ties to the present-day Fontaine family. With the help of a famous medievalist and enigmatic woman from his youth, Charles draws ever closer to the truth of this tale and its stunning historical revelation...and to his own buried past.

This book is by far the best I have ever read and stands as one to be read many times. I was completely absorbed in Charles' life. As a young boy his relationship with his Uncle Theo is a joy to read, the forest which plays such a major part in the story is so real that I felt I knew every tree, stone and twist in the paths. I seldom am so absorbed in a book that I took every step with the characters. This author is truly gifted with words, she transports one to a different place and time. I could not rate The Heron Legacy highly enough. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this memorable story, I will remember the story for a long time.

relatives, relationships, religious-practices, religious-symbolism, relocation, folklore, Belgium, memories, legend, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, artifact, suspense, investigation, dominating-parent*****

Uprooted at sixteen by his father from rural Belgium to NYC to go to law school and strive for more. Years later, the father sends the son to sell the family property but his love of history and connection to the land merges with his attraction to a mysterious woman from his youth and things go in an unexpected manner. I found the whole engaging and reminiscent of the Edda and of countless American Tribal lore. A good read.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you

This lovely, gentle book contains a deceptively gripping plot and a wonderful set of characters who will stay with me for a long time. The concept of chivalry runs strong and true through the narrative as the reader follows Charles de la Fontaine (or Charles d'Outre-mer) as he grows from a thoughtful boy obsessed with history to a man grown in the image of his father (or is he?)

The chapters describing Charles' relationship with his beloved Uncle Theo are some of the most interesting and touching in the story and truly drive the narrative forward. Charles' fascination with the chivalrous knights of the Crusades and the cognitive dissonance of their actions (killing for God) help create an exciting and deeply moving story.

The author is exceptionally skilled at storytelling - keeping a consistent pace, introducing new characters and bombshell information at just the right time, and crafting an ending that wraps up all the loose ends. I'll be recommending this for sure.

A bit of a slow start but once I was in, I was hooked. The novel follows Charles Fontaine, the heir to a 12th-century estate in Belgium. As a teenager he is enthralled by his eccentric uncle’s challenge to unearth and understand history of his family. Like his mentor, he wants to be a historian, but his strict father has other plans. His life takes a different turn as his father moves them to Connecticut where Charles is introduced to the soulless world of law and finance. In his thirties, Charles’s father wants him to go back to Belgium to sell the family pile. This puts in place a journey of discovery, regarding the true history of the origins of his family and his learning more about himself and where his heart truly lies. The novel is skilfully put together – echoes of the past are inserted into the present in the roles and essence of the characters. The clues draw the reader along as the puzzle is pieced together. The ending is satisfying and not predictable. There is plenty of descriptive writing, especially for sounds, as music is threaded throughout the story. A enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley.