The Hawthorne Legacy

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-10

Chapters 11-20

Chapters 21-30

Chapters 31-40

Chapters 41-50

Chapters 51-60

Chapters 61-70

Chapters 71-80

Chapters 81-90

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Background

Literary Context: The Inheritance Games

The Hawthorne Legacy is a young adult (YA) mystery novel and a sequel to The Inheritance Games. YA is generally described as being for people aged 12 to 18, although readers of all ages can enjoy these books. In a broader literary context, the Inheritance Games series capitalizes on the current rise in popularity in YA fiction, what some experts have called a “golden age of young adult fiction.” This spike in YA's popularity started around 2000, helped by “blockbuster” publications like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Twilight. From then on, the number of YA books published yearly grew significantly and continues to grow. For example, the global children's and YA book market was projected to increase from $10.82 billion to $11.34 billion from 2021 to 2022.

In keeping with its genre, The Hawthorne Legacy explores common YA themes, like Coming-of-Age and Romantic Relationships. The novel pushes the envelope slightly by including the trope of a love triangle, as the protagonist, Avery, finds herself torn between her feelings for two of the Hawthorne brothers, Jameson and Grayson. The love triangle trope can also be found in other YA books, such as The Hunger Games, where the female protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, is torn between her feelings for Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne. Despite including these romantic subplots, YA books like The Hawthorne Legacy and The Hunger Games ultimately paint a picture of a driven, independent, strong female lead.

Socio-Cultural Context: Class

In addition to exploring common YA themes like Romantic Relationships and Coming-of-Age, The Hawthorne Legacy also explores broader social themes, such as Class Disparities and Classism. This is crystallized in the protagonist, Avery, who has a “rags to riches” story. However, Barnes doesn’t give Avery a romantic “Cinderella story.” The author emphasizes how class differences often work against Avery, leaving her feeling out of place or disadvantaged compared to the Hawthorne brothers, who were raised with great wealth. Classism is again highlighted in the way characters are viewed following the Hawthorne Island fire in The Hawthorne Legacy: While the wealthy, white, private school boys are (initially) spared any blame, Kaylie Rooney—a girl without money or status—is blamed.

Barnes’s depiction of classist prejudice in The Hawthorne Legacy comes at a time when society increasingly recognizes the dangers of classism in society. The inherent racism in society is also touched on in the series—primarily in The Inheritance Games, when Xander, who is mixed race (while his brothers, who all have different fathers, are white), indicates to Avery that people view him as “half a Hawthorne” (The Inheritance Games, 143). Barnes’s criticism of inherent classist and racist structures speaks to the socio-historical context of the time. For example, The Inheritance Games was published in 2020, when movements like Black Lives Matter were gaining traction.

Historical Context: COVID-19

The Hawthorne Legacy was written at a pivotal moment in global history during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the acknowledgments of the book, Barnes notes, “This book was written and revised in the spring and summer of 2020, largely while I was locked down at home with my husband and small children” (355). Given that the author was, in a way, “trapped” in her own home at the time of writing, the fact that her protagonist, Avery, is “trapped” at Hawthorne House in the book gains new significance. Avery gets to keep her inheritance only if she lives in Hawthorne House for a full year. If she spends more than three nights away from Hawthorne House, she loses everything. Although this concept is first introduced in The Inheritance Games, it’s explored more fully in The Hawthorne Legacy.

For example, on numerous occasions in The Hawthorne Legacy, Avery wants to chase a clue in another location—such as the Hawthorne vacation homes in Colorado or Costa Rica. However, her movement is limited. She has to demand to be allowed to go to Colorado for just one night. Meanwhile, she’s barred from going to Costa Rica at all. Instead, her sister Libby and Nash Hawthorne go in her place. Similarly, when Avery wants to track down Toby/Harry in Connecticut, Libby and Nash must travel on her behalf. In this way, Avery loses some personal agency and power over her own life—her physical whereabouts are beyond her control. This gains new poignancy given that the author was sheltering in place while writing, something many governments recommended and some mandated in 2020.