Baker has carefully mixed fact with myth with fiction, and the several sub-stories set in various points of the past provide a wonderful scope of Scottish history. Each sub-story comes alive with the essence the period is known for, political turmoil included.

Unfortunately, the ending is riddled with problems. Some may be my personal opinion, such as the conclusion of the love story between the main characters leading the modern day plot, but others are flat out plot problems. The entire book hinges on a curse that is connected to Scotland's missing Stone of Destiny, and the resolution to this major plot point had holes all over the place.

If you want to get absorbed into Scotland, this book provides a wonderful exploration of four distinct eras. If you want a love story, there are four romances that are engaging, though tragic. If you want mystery mingled with fantasy, there's plenty, so long as you don't mind overlooking the flaws. Until the ending, this book was hovering at a 4.5 star rating, but the ending drops it down to a 3. ( )

Legacy was a pleasant surprise for me and kept me riveted. I did not want to put the book down. I thought it was very well done, with only a few minor quibbles. 4.5/5 stars ( )

This book has very good reviews and they are probably well deserved. The story is well written, her characters are developed.
For me, I had a hard time keeping interest in the first few hundred pages. (There is 335 pages for the nook) It wasn't until the last hundred pages that I wanted to see what the outcome would be for these characters.
The book is written in a format that starts in 1298 Scotland then jumps to the present, then back to the past, then to the present. with a lot of history surrounding the historical characters.
It took me a long time to be able to finish the book, I was easily distracted from it. But to be fair that was just my experience. Not every book will catch or hold the attention of every reader. Doesn't make it a bad book, just a book that isn't for everyone.
I have read other Jeanette Baker books I have really enjoyed, and will read her books in the future. ( )

I found this book a bit confusing and choppy - three different time periods added to a present day story of a young American woman who finds out she's inherited an estate in Scotland. Turns out she's memory channeling three ancestors of hers (who she closely resembles) who all were cursed and died violently. The separate stories in the past were good and held my attention, but they ended abruptly (you'll see why). There was a lack of development regarding their involvements with the loves of their lives and the present day romantic storyline was much too fast and unbelievable as well. It had it's plus's and negatives.

http://ktleyed.blogspot.com/2011/06/legacy-by-jeanette-baker.html ( )

I knew that I had read this book back in 1996 when it was first published from the moment I read the first chapter. I usually do not re-read a book but I wanted to read this one again as I am fascinated with anything to do with Ireland and Scotland as I am a bit of both and the history portrayed in this book kept me turning the pages. The story takes place in four different time periods, late 1300's. 1500's, 1700's and 1993-95. The story revolves around The Stone of Scone and the Traquair House, which is said to be the oldest inhabited house in Scotland.

"The Stone of Scone , more commonly known as the Stone of Destiny and often referred to in England as the Coronation Stone, is an oblong block of red sandstone, used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland, later the monarchs of England and since 1603, British monarchs. Historically, the artifact was kept at the now-ruined Scone Abbey in Scone, near Perth, Scotland." source: wiki

The Murray and Maxwell families lives and history's are intertwined with all the women in the Murray/Maxwell family's having a curse put on them, that each female member would have terrible hauntings and nightmares and eventually die horrible deaths. The story is well so researched and written that as each woman's story was told I felt as if I could imagine myself right in the story, which may be silly to some, but I often feel that way when reading a great historical story. I had to have the tissue box close by also..I highly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in the history of Scotland/England in the four time periods portrayed.