The Prodigals and Their Inheritance

Margaret Oliphant (1828-97) was a Scottish novelist and historical writer of the Victorian era who usually wrote as Mrs Oliphant. Her fictional works encompass domestic realism, the historical novel, and tales of the supernatural. As a girl she constantly experimented with writing and in 1849 her first novel Passages in the Life of Mrs Margaret Maitland was published. It was followed in 1851 by Caleb Field, and in that year she met the publisher William Blackwood who invited her to contribute to Blackwood's Magazine. The association would last throughout her lifetime during which she contributed well over 100 articles. In 1852 she married her cousin Frank with whom she had six children, three of whom died in infancy. The family moved to Italy in 1859 for the sake of Frank's health but he died in Rome leaving his wife almost entirely without resources, and on her return to England she was dependent on her literary output to support her three surviving children. She soon established herself as a popular writer and worked hard to sustain this position, but her private life was dogged with sorrow as her remaining children all pre-deceased her. Oliphant wrote over 120 works, mostly novels, but also travel books, biographies, historical works and volumes of literary criticism. Some of her most popular fictional works are the six novels which make up The Chronicles of Carlingford, originally serialised in Blackwood's from 1862-5 prior to book publication. The Prodigals and Their Inheritance first appeared in Good Cheer, the Christmas edition of Good Words magazine, in 1884, and was published in book form by Methuen & Co in 1894. It tells the story of Winifred Chester who lives with her wealthy father in the country. Although he is in trade, his children have been educated to be ladies and gentlemen and Winifred, at least, has been accepted into county circles. At the outset of the novel Mr Chester has disinherited his two sons for their moral and social failures and has shipped them off to Australia and New Zealand, despite Winifred's pleadings on their behalf. Mr Chester wishes to secure a good marriage for Winifred and refuses to accept her informal engagement with the local doctor, Edward Langton. The events that follow drive a wedge between Winifred and her brothers, and to some extent between herself and Edward, and she must learn the painful lesson that doing what she believes to be right will please no one.