The Man of Property 
          The vicissitudes of the leading members of the newly propertied Forsyte family are followed in this captivating series set at the turn of the century. London of the 1880s: The Forsyte family is gathered — gloves, waistcoats, feathers, and frocks — to celebrate the engagement of young June Forstye to an architect, Philip Bosinney. The family is intrigued but wary of this stranger in their midst, who they nickname "the Buccaneer." Amongst those present are Soames Forsyte and his beautiful wife Irene — his most prized possession. With that meeting, a chain of heartbreaking and tragic events is set in motion that will split the family to the very core.
          
In Chancery
          In Chancery continues the story of Soames and Irene’s marital troubles. Though 12 years have passed since the events of The Man of Property, and though they haven’t seen each other in that time, they remain married in the eyes of the law. This is beginning to bother Soames now, as he suddenly feels the need to produce an heir (preferably male) to the vast fortune he has accumulated during the course of his lifetime. Soames has it in his mind to divorce Irene, despite the distasteful gossip that will surely arise from such a move, and marry Annette, a 20-year-old French beauty whose mother operates a Soho restaurant.

To Let
          To Let focuses on the youngest generation of the Forsyte family. Most of the novel deals with the blossoming love affair between Jon Forsyte, son of Irene and Young Jolyon, and Fleur Forsyte, daughter of Soames and Annette. The two teenagers accidentally meet one day at June’s art gallery, where Soames and Fleur had gone to look at pictures. Unbeknownst to them, June, Jon, and Irene were also taking in the artwork that day. Soames managed to slip out without encountering the other three, but then the end up at the same confectioner’s shop, where Fleur purposely drops her handkerchief for Jon to pick up. The kids introduce themselves and quickly discover that they have the same last name, which prompts Soames to admit that they might be distant cousins before rushing out.