Love’s Legacy: Viscount Chateaubriand and the Irish Girl
Daniel Fallon
Amazonas Publishing (2021)
ISBN 978-1735999609
Reviewed by Ashley Hooker for Reader Views (04/2022)
Daniel Fallon is professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Maryland and author of articles and books dealing with public policy, education, and cultural reforms. In his book “Love’s Legacy” he takes a step back from the world issues to take an up-close look into his family heritage.
When Daniel’s father passes, he travels to Southport, NC to attend the funeral and be with his family. He speaks of his father, Carlos, as a man full of stories and having an insatiable curiosity with religion. After the crowd leaves the family home and his mother was resting, Daniel goes into his father’s study. He investigates his father’s files labeled family and discovers two old letters that would lead him on a hunt and create an affirming appreciation for those who came before him.
Fallon learns these letters were from Hyacinthe Pilorage, (Chateaubriand’s secretary) to a man named Thomas Fallon and were regarding Thomas’ education. Daniel remembers his father telling stories about a young woman named Mary O’Neill and the French writer Francois-Rene Chateaubriand. So, finding the letters gave Daniel Fallon a sense of responsibility to his family. He had to know what a famous French writer had to do with a young Irish girl.
Daniel Fallon tracks this story by starting with Chateaubriand. He travels and researches all he can to learn about the French writer’s life. Fallon also speaks with experts about Chateaubriand and looks for confirmation of events in the letters and the oral history of his family. He learns about the “ugly “parts of Chateaubriand’s life and puts together a picture of how this man met a girl named Mary.
Fallon then pursues the Irish girl named Mary. He seeks birth, death, and christening evidence for her and her children. This is the moment he learns about Mary’s son Thomas, who is Daniel’s great-great-grandfather. There is no evidence of a birth date, but Fallon learns Thomas is sent to a school and his tuition is paid by Chateaubriand. The question was, why? Throughout the remainder of Fallon’s book, he recounts what might have and what did happen regarding Mary and Chateaubriand. It is within the creating of this work, Fallon understands the importance of these two people to the legacy of his family.
“Love’s Legacy” is a small book that packs a punch. At first, I believed I could read this one quickly, but found it was a story I had to take in slowly. Fallon breaks the story down by the people involved, making it much easier to follow his travels and research steps. He does an excellent job describing Mary, Chateaubriand, and Thomas. He brings them to life and gives credence to their lives. In his last chapter, Fallon gives us a snapshot of how his family grew and immigrated to Columbia and then the United States. He brings the story full circle. I loved his last words when he says, “If he only knew. If only Mary knew. We are here. We are grateful.”
His acknowledgment of his ancestors and the people in their lives is heartwarming.
I could not finish my review without mentioning the awesome book cover. The colors are vibrant, and the pictures are perfect. It is truly eye-catching. “Love’s Legacy” is a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys history and genealogy. I believe it is a book for young adults onward.
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