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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy



The story set in turbulent times in America during the Abolitionist era. People and even relatives strongly divided on the very emotional issue of slavery. Civil war, strife and destruction throughout the south. A period I knew very little about so was quite educative for me.

Set in parallel times in 1859 and 2014 the story of Sarah, independent, artistic and determined to do her bit even as a woman restricted by man made rules and Eden who has moved to this small village with her husband Jack in this historical house and who is desperate to have a child. How the two disparate lives mesh through a discovery found in the house and which unravels the mystery of the hows and whys of the freeing and escape of slaves, the routes they followed, who helped them on their way and the workings of the underground railway which assisted so many to become free.

The personal lives of Sarah in love with Freddy but who turns him down because she feels she can never give him a child and who remains single to the end and Eden who makes this longing for a child the beginning and end of her existence and puts her marriage at danger with this almost obsession that time is passing her by. These two stories are also very much part of this story and help to define the boundaries of love and family so much part of the story.

I am glad that the blurb says "Final cover to be reviewed" as it would be unforgivable to go ahead with this one!

Sent to me by Netgalley via Crown Publishing.

5 comments:

  1. Sounds interesting and yes... it needs a better cover ;)

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  2. Until I read that last comment I thought this was the cover...boring

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  3. I like the idea of reading the two parallel stories set over a hundred years apart. Interesting how the two marriages are compared.

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  4. I like the sound of this book. I'm glad it has an interesting title at least, or it would have been hard to pick a book like this from a shelf.

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  5. I loved The Baker's Daughter, so I can't wait to read this one! I saw one of the covers on Facebook that McCoy had posted, and it was lovely.

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