Legacy of Silence - by Belva Plain (Paperback)

About the Book

Pregnant and unwed, Caroline flees wartime Europe and comes to America in 1939. There Joel Hirsch offers marriage and respectability, hoping one day to earn her love, if not the passion she had felt for a man whose memory still haunts them both. With Joel, Caroline builds a new life, determined to bury the past--until her daughter Eve brings Caroline's carefully crafted world crashing down again, driven by a rage to learn the truth.

Book Synopsis

In Legacy of Silence, New York Times bestselling author Belva Plain creates an unforgettable story of a remarkable family--and a deception that reaches across continents, oceans, and generations.

Caroline Hartzinger flees wartime Europe with a shattered life and a devastating secret. Pregnant and unwed, she arrives in America in 1939. Joel Hirsch offers marriage and respectability, hoping one day to earn her love, if not the passion she feels for a man whose memory still haunts them both. With Joel, Caroline builds a new life, determined to bury the past--until her daughter Eve brings Caroline's carefully crafted world crashing down again, driven by a rage to learn the truth.

Now it is Eve's secret, a legacy that taints her life and puts generations at risk. But with it comes a gift--a new sister, young enough to be her own daughter, who offers hope, then a truth that will finally break the hold of the past.

From the Back Cover

LEGACY OF SHAME

Caroline Hartzinger fled wartime Europe with a shattered life and a devastating secret. Pregnant and unwed, she arrived in America in 1939. Joel Hirsch offered marriage and respectability, hoping one day to earn her love, if not the passion she felt for a man whose memory still haunted them both. With Joel., Caroline built a new life, determined to bury the past -- until her daughter Eve brought Caroline's carefully crafted world crashing down again, driven by a rage to learn the truth. . . .

LEGACY OF SECRETS

It was Eve's secret now, a legacy that tainted her life and risked generations to come. But with it came a gift -- a new sister, young enough to be her own daughter, who would offer hope, then a truth that would finally break the hold of the past....

New York Times bestselling author Belva Plain creates an unforgettable story of a remarkable family -- and a deception that reaches across continents, oceans, and generations.

Review Quotes

"A family saga with lots of heart."--Detroit Free Press

"Belva Plain writes with authority and integrity."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Surprising, moving."--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Belva Plain captured readers' hearts with her first novel, Evergreen, which Delacorte published more than 30 years ago. It topped the New York Times best-seller list for 41 weeks and aired as an NBC-TV miniseries. In total, more than 20 of her books have been New York Times best sellers.

Before becoming a novelist, Belva Plain wrote short stories for many major magazines, but taking care of a husband and three children did not give her the time to concentrate on the novel she had always wanted to write. When she looked back and said she didn't have the time, she felt as though she had been making excuses. In retrospect, she said, "I didn't make the time." But, she reminded us, during the era that she was raising her family, women were supposed to concentrate only on their children. Today 30 million copies of her books are in print.

A Barnard College graduate who majored in history, Belva Plain enjoyed a wonderful marriage of more than 40 years to Irving Plain, an ophthalmologist. Widowed for more than 25 years, Ms. Plain continued to reside in New Jersey, where she and her husband had raised their family and which was still home to her nearby children and grandchildren until her death in October 2010.