The Inheritance

Starred review from March 28, 2011
This compelling collection includes contributions from two pseudonyms of Margaret Lindholm: bestseller Robin Hobb (Dragon Haven) and lesser-known but critically acclaimed Megan Lindholm. An introduction that explains how both pseudonyms came to be gives a fascinating glimpse into the author's mind. The title story's theme of deciding what to do with one's inheritance echoes throughout this poignant compilation. Lindholm's SF tale, "A Touch of Lavender," is a masterful mix of delicately crafted prose and subtle emotional stakes. The deceptively quiet "Cut" examines the violent choice one mother makes to protect her granddaughter from herself. Hobb's "Homecoming" describes in protracted detail the trials of the first settlers to the Rain Wilds. Lindholm's tales sometimes mask deeper themes or play with one significant moment, while Hobb's narrators are often naïve and her prose extravagant. Under any name, Margaret Lindholm's assured prose has an unerring ability to tug on the reader's heartstrings.