Title: The Mildenhall Legacy
Author: Albert Sipes
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 1669814939
Pages: 250
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel

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Alfred and Katie live simple lives in Colorado but every now and then they provide safe harbor. One day when Alfred returned from getting the paper, he receives the news that their grandniece Eve is paying them a visit. Eve has a recent habit of making poor decisions and her recent one has driven her to run away from her problems, heading straight for the tranquil life of her relatives. Along her journey, she befriends a young woman that offers her a ride and extends a hand in friendship. As the story continues, the lives of various characters are interconnected as they navigate relationships, second chances, and find happiness.

The book immediately introduces Alfred and Katie who are described as being a place of safety with details which describe a cold and windy environment that encompasses a serene tone. Right from the beginning, the details set up the peace and the safe harbor they possess through details such as pine needles littering the ground, the wind stirring the ponderosas to life, pebbles clicking together, and breathing in cleansing air. These gentle details make it clear why this is the location that Eve has chosen to run away to because it’s established as a place of safety which serves as a catalyst for second chances. The story is book-ended with these two characters with a happy ending that gives a satisfying conclusion to these characters’ journeys. The ending feels well-earned after the struggles each character faces over the course of the story and shines a positive light on second chances.

The central character is Eve who is immediately set-up as being troubled with those around her. The story explores this desire through a journey that offers her a second chance and a way to live her life the way she wants to. Second chances are a prominent theme throughout the story, significant in each of the characters’ journeys. The story also shows the role other people have in providing these second chances such as the way Alfred, Katie, and Jill help Eve when she was at her lowest. In the beginning, Eve has put everything behind her, including her relationship with Gerald which is a dynamic that is rooted in estrangement. Striking a balance to Eve running away, Gerald is determined to face his life head-on and do something to fix everything.

Jill is an important character that comes into Eve’s life as she’s instantly seen as this helpful figure that gives Eve a ride and shows her compassion. This act of kindness creates a bond between the two women impacting both of their lives so while Eve is finding herself, Jill is getting her own second chance at finding love and happiness. Their lives are balanced by the slightly messier life of Trish who stumbles in her relationship with Les, her temptation with Flynn, and the struggles in starting a family. Each character is a genuine example of second chances as each of them is simply trying to build a happy life with love, family, and fulfillment.

The Mildenhall Legacy is a story about relationships, second chances, mistakes, happiness, and the bonds you form along the way. The perspective weaves between each character as their stories are portrayed with realistic struggles which are told in a lighthearted tone and a literary style.