Home Influence: A Tale for Mothers and Daughters

"Home Influence: A Tale for Mothers and Daughters" by Grace Aguilar is a story set in a peaceful Welsh village, where a mother's approaching death casts a shadow over her family. As Mrs. Fortescue faces her mortality, the book looks into the significant impact a mother has on her children's character and future. Readers will explore the lives of the Fortescue siblings, Edward and Ellen, and witness how their mother’s teachings and her impending loss shape their paths. Themes of family dynamics, love, moral lessons of parenting, and individual growth come out through the contrast between two families, the Fortescues and the Hamiltons. As Mrs. Fortescue reflects on her life, she worries that her daughter, Ellen, might struggle to care for her brother, Edward, creating an emotional and heartfelt novel about the effects of home and family.