The Cuckoo’s Daughter
At the age of sixteen, Louisa has lived all her life with her foster family on a farm. She has never been told the names of her real parents, informed from a young age that her mother died in childbirth and her father diad from fighting Americans; Louisa is shocked and angry when she is called “The Cuckoo’s Daughter” by a fairground gypsy. When Louisa falls in love with a handsome army captain, the reaction from her foster family is extreme. Will Louisa be able to marry the man she loves and find the truth about her origins?
Louisa La Coast is a real person, a direct ancestor of the author, Griselda Gifford. This knowledge makes the story somehow richer and more real than if it were an outright piece of fiction. Gifford is the author of several children’s books and it is perhaps this that makes the story of Louisa a very straightforward read. There is no brutality or violence in The Cuckoo’s Daughter, and it is a very short book that is easily read.
It is an enjoyable read; however, the story seems to end just at the time when you would really like it to be taking off, which makes me wonder if there are sequels to follow which will continue the story of Louisa La Coast and her descendants.
