Family Inheritance

Winner of a 2015 Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Popular Fiction.

This is a very dark novel with adversity and strength. Abuse and family discord are major players in this story. The title Family Inheritance does not mean money or land. It is more about the cycle of abuse that travels through a family and everyone it touches.

Not all childhoods are filled with bedtime stories and good memories. Some are filled with abusive parents, neglect, and horrible, painful secrets. Those beginnings are just to be survived and hopefully forgotten.This was the case for Helene, Alice, and Suzanne. They all thought they had done just that - left the pain of their childhood behind.

While they may have escaped the farm, but Helene, Alice, and Suzanne find they are still perpetuating a cycle of pain, abuse, alcoholism, anger, fear, and bitterness. When their mother slips into a coma, the three estranged sisters are know they need to return home, if only to escape the pain in which they are all drowning.

Once together and seeing themselves through each other's eyes, the sisters are forced to confront their demons. Will they be able to tread through the wreckage of the past to create lives filled with hope, love, and triumph?

Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars. “Very moving. I recognize that the book has a greater appeal for the female audience. . .but all sensitive men can benefit greatly from reading it. I want all three of my ladies (wife and two daughters) and both my sons-in-law to read the book. It serves as a primer and encouragement for those facing enormous family struggles and gives hope and promise to those who are suffering and crying out for help. The greatest compliment I can give: the book made me cry.” - Stan Cooper

5 out of 5 stars. “This book is extremely well written and you won’t want to put it down until you’ve read the very last page. Even then, the characters will continue to stick with you. I liked this book very much and would definitely recommend it.” – Lisa Knox (Librarian) for NetGalley

5 out of 5 stars. “Family Inheritance by Terri Ann Leidich is a heartbreaking story of three sisters struggling through their adult life as a result of the childhood abuse they suffered. Their Mother is dying, they all return home and are reunited. With the help of each other they decide they deserve so much better and set about to make changes in their lives. This is an emotional book which I had to stop several times to wipe the tears before I could read more. I enjoyed reading this and found it to be a real page-turner, I look forward to more by this author.
My favorite quote from the book is… Maybe her childhood and her past were like any other family inheritance. It all depended on what she did with it.” - Kimberly Scott for NetGalley

5 out of 5 stars. “Family Inheritance is a well written book that deals with serious social issues. The emotions contained in the book seem very real to me and at times felt gut-wrenching. From the very first page I was drawn into the drama and I had to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next.
The writing style flows smoothly and this was a quick easy read (although at times the emotional turmoil was hard to read about). The writing was raw and emotional, descriptive and informative. The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. You cannot help being drawn to them and into their worlds.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written fictional story, that is based on some sad truths of our society. And to anyone who enjoys an emotional, thought provoking read. This is the first book that I have red from this author and I am looking forward to reading more of her books.” – Mary Brown for NetGalley