Uncertain Legacy: Part II in The House Book Trilogy

In 17th century France, women have virtually no rights or legal protection. The Church is all-powerful and determined to root out heresy and witchcraft wherever it can find it. For one young girl, unwilling to take vows of chastity and obedience and preparing to leave the Convent of Montmartre, life is about to become doubly dangerous.

Alone at 15 years old, Elisabeth Osborne is beautiful, naive, and easy prey. She fancies she can manage on her own in Paris, but a chance meeting with the madam of a gentlemen's club changes her mind. It is here she receives protection, the sort of education not taught in convents, and just as importantly, the freedom to practice her skills with herbal remedies without fear.

But it isn't only her unusual knowledge of plants and the workings of the body that might land her in danger. In times of stress, she is capable of extraordinary feats which she cannot always control and which she struggles to keep secret. And then there's the recurring vision of a house somewhere, calling to her and soothing her when life becomes too difficult.

Blessed with good looks, education, and an aristocratic air, it's not long before Elisabeth is pursued and swept up into high society. She quickly learns that women who wish to be independent need to be clever, for there are few choices open to them in a patriarchal society where the law is very much against them.

Older, wiser, and richer, there is still unfinished business for Elisabeth. She doesn't know her mother's English family or who her father is, and she doesn't know why she's able to see and do things others can't. She sets out to find answers, traveling to Brittany and across to England, where London is gripped by plague and fire.

But is she prepared for the answers? That’s the question…

A perfect book club read for fans of Kate Morton, Rachel Hore, and Katherine Webb.

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