Book Review of The Forgotten Gift by Kathleen McGurl - Release Date: Nov. 11, 2020.
Kathleen McGurl has an amazing talent for writing dual time line fiction. These heart-stirring family mysteries explore genealogy themes that keep you turning the pages. The Forgotten Gift is one such treasure that flows back and forth between two separate stories (in alternating chapters) with such ease you never lose track. The strong connections, plus the skill and writing style of the author, propel the plot forward at an appropriate pace. At the core of the mystery are the wild and binding threads of family history: branches of a family tree that have become tangled with fascinating secrets that must be unknotted and rectified.
A powerful Prologue thrusts us immediately into the past (1874) with ancestor, George Thomas Britten. The mystery begins with an extract from George’s will. He has bequeathed a special gift of money to his friend, Nathaniel Spring, a prison chaplain. And to Nathaniel’s wife, a silver-framed hand held mirror decorated in pearls and sapphires. Like the solicitor, we begin to wonder why George would bestow money to this man and such a personal gift to his wife. We are immediately intrigued by this action but eventually learn for whom this mirror gift was originally intended and more about this friend who George claims has saved his life. We discover that George has been caught up in a murder investigation and eventually we gain an understanding of how this has happened.
As the story unfolds, the purpose of the mirror (its meaning for its owner and the anguish it eventually causes) is played out brilliantly on this canvas of words. Secrets are revealed, plots untwisted and many surprises arise. George tells his own story through the use of journal writing and, since it is in first person, we get his direct emotional experiences.
Although George’s intriguing story is enough to keep us interested, another main character shares the limelight. As in any dual timeline novel, we fast forward to a present-day thread. In this case, starting in Chapter One, we meet a future family member named Cassie Turner who has been exploring her father’s family tree (that includes George Britten). Her own story of family discoveries and exposed secrets take us on an emotional ride. This thread, though told in third person, is equally as strong as George’s as it is wonderfully and carefully shared over the course of the novel.
Throughout the telling of the two stories and two point of views, we see how the past affects and shapes the lives of future generations. And this is the heart and soul of ancestry exploration. You never know what you will find in the past when you start digging.
A powerful theme based on the ‘nature versus nurture theory’ runs through this novel and is explored in a unique way. The age-old debate of ‘is it genes or environment that makes us who we are’ is clearly executed. We are shown from various angles how these ideas play out through inner and outer dialogue and through the experiences of the characters. The genius of this novel is in how it inspires a tremendous amount of thought on the topic.
The Forgotten Gift also delves into the meaning of family. What makes a set of parents? Are blood relatives more important in the development of a person over adopted ones? Is the old proverb blood is thicker than water where family ties are stronger than other social ties, true? As Cassie and George both learn, meanings are never that straightforward and life is often complicated. Things are not always as they seem and people are not always who they appear to be. Trust is a fragile gift. Close connections are not always as a result of being blood related. Birthing a child does not always mean you will make the best parent. Every situation and relationship must be measured for its uniqueness. There’s no one size fits all - in what or who makes the best family. We get to see this in Cassie’s life and George’s. What works best for one is not necessarily ideal for another. Each circumstance needs to be treated respectfully and carefully; weighing the pros and cons. The Nature versus nurture argument is not so cut and dry.
This novel may be fiction but I appreciate how the characters reveal their concerns and deal with the dilemmas that adopted children must face. The internal conflict often felt over devotion to adopted parents versus birth parents is very real. The rights of the child and both sets of parents are explored masterfully. We see clearly that people aren’t always who they say they are and why. We learn about sacrifices and how exposing secrets can both hurt and heal.
This novel delivers sound character development. Restoration for Cassie is vital and occurs as she learns the real meaning of family. For George, too, the secrets in his family that once turned his world upside down, eventually liberate him and help him to rectify some wrongs. His loyalty, once misplaced, finds its real home. He learns that approval cannot be earned. Some things will not change; best to move on and be with those who accept you for who you are. George may have been a victim initially but eventually he learns how to become a victor.
As Kathleen unfolds the two stories side by side, the threads that were once relaxed enough to allow the telling of each, begin to intertwine and tighten towards the end of the climax. As this tension increases and our hearts race to the finish, by the end all threads are completely woven together to become one: and the characters’ similarities and differences are revealed. The nature versus nurture is explored with great skill and the resolution renders some surprising revelations. This book is a page turner: passionate, insightful and riveting. I easily give it five stars and highly recommend it.
Many thanks to author Kathleen McGurl and her publisher Harper Collins for an ARC for review purposes.
