What do readers think of A Dual Inheritance by Joanna Hershon? Write your own review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is well written and very interesting. It keeps ones interest and also raises many questions about love, family loyalty moral decisions and the power of money.

The characters are well drawn and believable. The themes and plot are universal and would appeal to both men and women.

I found A Dual Inheritance a slow but rich read. In some ways it reminded me of The Emperor's Children in that it seemed to have a thread of humor and irony running under the surface of the story. I found myself drawn into the times and places of the characters' lives and reflecting on my own life and how choices and circumstances have changed me. At times it felt that there should be more explanation behind the character's motivations, but the way it is written makes it a book that would lend itself to lively book group discussions. Recommended!

Once I finally got the chance to read "A Dual Inheritance" I could not put it down. I really enjoyed reading about two different families and how they were connected, especially when the daughters met up in school. I think it would be a great book club book as there are a number of characters with different personalities to discuss, plus it's a great book with a great story.

I thought the book was very well written, although it was lengthy and took me a while to get to the end. In fact, I read the book a second time just to make sure I hadn't missed something. Hugh Shipley and Ed Cantowitz each thought the other would be the most successful after they graduated from college. But I couldn't make a judgment which one won. I guess my judgment of what success is might not be the same as someone else's.

I enjoyed "A Dual Inheritance" but wished that the main characters had been better developed. I just didn't get some of the motivations, starting with the improbable friendship between Ed Cantowitz and Hugh Shipley and then with Helen's relationship with Ed. And what about the visit to Helen's home where Ed was treated to a big dose of anti-Semitism - surely Hugh and Helen could have predicted that outcome. Ed's eventual legal problems didn't quite resonate with his portrayal as an ambitious but ethical businessman. And Hugh's infidelities were disappointing. However I loved the last part of the book where all of the characters reunite for Vivi's wedding celebration and there is an unpredictable but happy ending. It was funny and sad and very well written. I also enjoyed the different foreign settings. All in all, I liked the book and will recommend it to friends.

Once again, the author wrote what was a potentially good story and spread it out over 400 pages rather than 300. The character development was poor, especially for the secondary storyline. I found myself wanting to know more about some characters and a lot less about the the thought processes of the two main characters. In this instance, shorter would have been better.

I really enjoyed this novel exploring the choices made by two young Harvard students and the way the lives they make for themselves affect their children's perception of the world. It is easy to become engrossed in the characters as they try to make sense of their changing times and circumstances. This would make an excellent book club choice, because there's so much to discuss: would Ed's life have taken a different path if he'd stayed with Connie? Could Hugh have been happy if he'd been born without the money and privilege that he felt as a burden? The title is intriguing as it applies to the main characters and their daughters, and the effect of inherited traits versus inherited culture. I also loved the ending of the epilogue, when ultimately lives become so intertwined that the details no longer matter. All in all, a thoroughly entertaining read.

I liked this book but did not love it. Will I remember the story in a year? Probably not. I read it on vacation and on planes. It was good reading and kept me interested but it isn't a great book. I, like other readers, felt it could've been cut. I did like learning about the younger generation. I actually think that part of the book was more innovative than certain cliches in the first half of the book--rich friend, aspiring Jewish society seeker, and WASP woman forming the triangle. I liked Rebecca because she seemed real and multi-dimensional. I probably wouldn't recommend this book to my book club because it is overly long and I'm not sure how much discussion would be forthcoming after the first 20 minutes or so. I'm not sorry I read it but I probably wouldn't give it a great recommendation either. It was OK and adequately written.