Book Blurb:
This dual timeline saga is based on the scandalous lives of Belgium's brutal King Leopold II, his young mistress, her longtime lover, the King's three daughters, and the mystery of a vanishing fortune.
THEN
At his death in 1909, Leopold was believed to be the wealthiest man in the world. A fortune made from enslaving the people of the Congo to harvest ivory and rubber went to lining his pockets rather than filling his kingdom's coffers. He triggered the genocide of an estimated ten to fifteen million people to satisfy his greed.
NOW
Oceane's life is turned upside down when she joins her grandmother on the French Riviera during summer break. She is surprised to learn that her family owns a magnificent villa on Cap Ferrat (the peninsula of billionaires) that has been unused for decades and nearly untouched for over a century. Gran is forced to prepare Oceane for an advancing threat by telling her the unvarnished truth about her family and their connection to Leopold’s lost fortune.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/oV0lU
Author Bio:
Colleen Coyne imagines plots and characters while passing long hours confined to an airplane seat. She has spent considerable time in the air as an international trade specialist expanding markets around the globe for New England and Mid-Atlantic seafood. Her marriage to a Dane also keeps her hopping between homes in the USA and Europe. Colleen's home base in the U.S. is in Mystic, Connecticut. Watching spectacular sunsets while enjoying a glass of wine with family and friends at her home on the Mystic River is one of her most favorite things to do. "The Unintended Heiress," Colleen's debut novel is a Firebird Book Awards winner in the category: Fiction (First Time Published). It was also shortlisted for the 2023 Goethe Book Award, which recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in post-1750s Historical Fiction and is a 2024 American Fiction Award Finalist in the Mystery/Suspense: Historical category. "Bewept," her second novel, placed Third in the Women’s Fiction category of the 2024 National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest, is a 2024 American Fiction Award Finalist in the Family Saga category, and was awarded the 2024 International Book Impact Award for fiction.
Editorial Review:
“The Unintended Heiress” is a “family secrets” secrets plotline with a dual timeline approach. This is effectively done, and draws the reader in immediately. The narrative switches between the modern-day Oceane, an orphan who has been raised by her grandmother, and the life and times of Caroline, a young woman who has a scandalous relationship with King Leopold II of Belgium in the early 20th century. Coyne has clearly undertaken significant research – the darker side of Leopold’s reign is also a central part of the storyline - but aside from the history, what also stands out is the dialogue and the description of the human relationships. The characters’ conversation is natural and feels appropriate for each era. Both timelines are written in first-person, and Oceane and Caroline are each distinct characters with their own personalities and reactions. There is a stark contrast between the young woman of a different time, given unbelievable riches in possessions, property and clothing by a King, and Oceane, a modern woman who is studying at the London School of Economics.
Historical detail is cleverly woven into the narrative, particularly in Caroline’s segments. This approach provides the reader with background information, but does not divert from the story. As Coyne states in her Author’s Note:
“The lives of King Leopold II, Caroline, Antoine, and the three princesses were outlandish and scandalous. It would be impossible to make up anything more shocking than some of their real-life antics, plots, and peculiar behaviors.”
It is difficult for the reader not to be incredulous at the opulence that is bestowed on Caroline, even if the provenance of the riches is so disturbing. The reaction of Leopold’s family and the people of Belgium to this arrangement is predictable, but historically authentic. The reality of Leopold’s actions and his appalling treatment of the people of the Congo is confronting and difficult to read about from any perspective. Oceane’s reaction to Caroline’s “dismissiveness” about the subject allows the reader to relate to Oceane and identify with her distress. It is a relief to witness such a clear reaction after reading of such harrowing atrocities and Caroline’s receipt of sumptuous dresses, antiques and furnishings in those circumstances.
Each woman talks candidly about pivotal events in their lives. Oceane reminisces about her parents:
“The momentousness of what was happening was not lost on either of us. I wasn’t sure I could handle being so close to my parents after all these years. Over time they
had become more like fairytale ch aracters than real people. I had only fleeting recollections of their faces, their smiles, their hugs. My walking over the threshold in to their suite wouldn’t bring them back, but it might bring back all the pain I felt from losing them. I didn’t want to go in to that suite, but at the same time, my heart was tugging me forward.”
Caroline reflects on her social status:
“There are historians and those in the Belgian government who are still in search of Leopold’s wealth. I suppose it is an intriguing mystery. Conspiracy theories abound, but none have ever come close to the truth. I wish I were alive to see the reactions if the truth ever emerges. My son Lucien grew into the spitting image of Leopold, which finally left no doubt about his lineage. Lucien somehow developed a set of morals that eluded the rest of us. He settled in Nice, France, with a chatty wife, and they led an otherwise quiet life. The British royal family later openly acknowledged his lineage and even invited him to visit.”
But “The Unintended Heiress” also contains a third narrative, from a character the reader may not expect. History and modern times collide – as they so often do – and Leopold’s atrocities within the Congo echo through the generations. The ending of Coyne’s novel is satisfying, with the goodness of people once again evident, despite the continuing racism found in the world.
Aspects of the final chapters are somewhat far-fetched, and are later told more as a recounting of events by Oceane rather than an unfolding narrative with action and dialogue. This mechanism, while allowing a lot of detail to be relayed, can distance the reader from the story and from any sense of immediacy. Oceane’s relationship with her grandmother is obviously close and authentic. The plot device of Oceane having to read through notebooks and listen to recordings to uncover the truth (because Oceane’s grandmother remains largely silent and will not explain the loss of her parents or answer her questions) is perhaps slightly unrealistic in these circumstances, although necessary for the story.
Coyne’s novel is well-written overall, although there is different pacing through the book, particularly as the storyline draws to a close. There are plot twists throughout the story, including unexpected villains (always a highlight!). The mark of compelling historical fiction is surely a storyline with surprising turns, and with a good measure of history creatively woven throughout the storyline. By that assessment, “The Unintended Heroine” certainly delivers, and is a great (albeit confronting) read. King Leopold II’s atrocities in the Congo, and the social attitudes of those times in Belgium and elsewhere, are an important part of this story and are also discussed in an Author’s Note at the end of the book. These aspects are a deeply distressing part of history, and their inclusion in this novel means that the author has written a multi-layered story that is far more valuable to the reader than the usual content of a straightforward “family secrets” mystery plotline. The reality of history often lingers long in the reader’s mind, along with the hope that it is never repeated.
*****
"The Unintended Heiress" by Colleen Coyne receives 4 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
To have your historical novel editorially reviewed and/or enter the HFC Book of the Year contest, please visit www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission
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