In this gripping tale, Harry Bensham is happily married to Anna Brigmore, who once served as the governess to his children. His daughter Katie is about to be married, and all seems well, but the Mallen curse, which has plagued the family for generations, threatens to cast its shadow once again. Barbara Mallen, Harry’s daughter-in-law, is haunted by the darker traits of her third son Ben, who, unlike his twin brothers, bears the unmistakable Mallen features and temperament. Her inability to connect with him leads to a forbidden love affair with Michael Radlent, a character whose love she lost in The Mallen Girl.
As the story unfolds, Katie and Brigie also face tragedies that are all the more painful after moments of unexpected happiness. The Mallen curse seems unrelenting, passing into the third generation. Ben, burdened by his mother’s ruinous affair and the sorrows of World War I, struggles under the weight of his family’s history. When he finally cracks under the pressure, it seems inevitable that he, too, will fall victim to the cursed legacy.
