At the start of THE INGENUE by Rachel Kapelke-Dale Saskia Kreis's mother, the heiress Evelyn Harper Kreis, a famous author known for "Feminist Princess" tales, has passed away. Saskia, a child prodigy/ingenue of piano, is expecting to inherit her mother's house. However, upon the reading of the will and becoming aware of secrets her mother has kept from her, Saskia is shocked to learn that the Elf House is going to Patrick, a man with whom she has a very complex relationship. Going back to Wisconsin, using the power of the law, as well as memories of her teenage years, Saskia is forced to start examining her past and present life and try to figure out why her mother would leave the Elf House to Patrick.  Will the answers Saskia unearths contribute to understanding or confusion? 

What really worked for THE INGENUE by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is the pacing of the story and the engaging plot. The pacing is best described as riding the tornado with little introspection, but instead, slow-building anger is the driving force behind Saskia's actions and decisions. (Having stated that, a mention of an inappropriate relationship between a 30-plus male with a teenage girl should be mentioned for those who might not be comfortable about reading that particular pairing. ) 

Before writing THE INGENUE, which can loosely be considered a reference for Saskia's talent in playing piano, Rachel Kapelke-Dale wrote THE BALLERINAS, and in terms of anger as well as how much the characters' history is tied up to their present definitely plays out in quite a similar fashion. 

For readers who have loved THE BALLERINAS, THE INGENUE by Rachel Kapelke-Dale will truly live up to the hype of the previous novel and establish the author as an unforgettable author of feminine rage, especially in these times where so much but so little has changed.