The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy

 

The Mapmaker's Children

by

Sarah McCoy

Occasionally a book comes onto my radar that I immediately know will be a favorite.  I know I will be listening to it while I take a walk and while I dust, peel potatoes, weed the flower beds or sew.  Most of the time I listen to audio books when I drive and have no issue waiting till the next car errand to hear the next few minutes of a novel.  But this book by Sarah McCoy was one that I invented tasks to do so that I could listen a few more minutes.  She has created a book that will stay with me in "The Mapmaker's Children".  The book swings between 2014 and the 1860s.  One of the main characters is John Brown's daughter Sarah.  Her story starts just before John is hung for his part in the revolt at Harper's Ferry.  While the historical figure of  John Brown is a familiar one,  I never considered what might have become of his wife and children.   In the novel, his daughter Sarah, continues her work as an abolitionist by continuing to draw picture maps to direct slaves toward freedom.  As time goes on, the book has her incorporating those coded maps onto doll heads.  The part of the novel that takes place in 2014 rediscovers the story from a doll head found in the root cellar of a house that a couple buys in a town near Harper's Ferry.  I highly recommend this book to those who, like me, love a good historical novel.  Please click on the book title and author's name above to follow links to more information.  And enjoy the words of John Brown in the video below as Orson Wells reads John Brown's final speech.  

The Vine Witch by Luanne G Smith

 

The Vine Witch 

By

Luanne G Smith

On Friday 6/24/2022  I was down in the dumps about the current events of the day.  I spent the afternoon in the flower gardens and that helped.  But I was still moping around.  I had seen the demise of Roe vs Wade coming since 11/2016,  but still was sad when it happened.  Normally I read either historical novels or non fiction.  The books I choose are often pretty heady.  But I decided, because of my mood,  a fluff book was in order.  I had a copy of The Vine Witch on my kindle.  I had obtained it free from Amazon.   It look like the perfect escape book so I began reading it.  The book fit my need perfectly!  It is a fairy tale in adult length and an easy read.  I lost myself in it for three days and was glad for a trip into fantasy.  It is a story about a witch who uses magic to care for wine vineyards in 19th Century France.  It is a love story and a bit of a mystery.  If you need to escape a bit I highly recommend this book!  Please click on the book title and author's name above and enjoy the video that follows. 

Waverley by Sir Walter Scott

 

Waverley 

by

Sir Walter Scott

Last month as I started my vacation to Scotland, I downloaded an audio book that was a classic Scottish novel named Waverley by Sir Walter Scott.  I didn't get much of it listened to while I was gone but I have been enjoying it since I have arrived back home.  It is a long audio book lasting longer than 17 hours.  The first one fourth to one third of the book drags and it was hard to keep going.  There is much detail back ground work being laid in the beginning of the book.  But the last three quarters of the book is delightful.  I was sorry to have it end.  The story will stay with. me a long time.  It was written in the early 1800s so has some complicated language and some old fashioned ideas.  For example,  the woman who is explained to be the best candidate for a bride is not the  woman who was not only beautiful but also intelligent.  Instead it was  the one who although pretty enough,  wasn't very bright but was good hearted.   Over all though it was a very good book and one of the first historical novels ever written.  Sir Walter Scott did a great job writing it and it deserves its status of a classic.  The main character of the book is named Waverley and is a British soldier who is sent to Scotland.  He falls in love with a Scottish girl and defects to the Jacobite cause.  He has a lot of adventures but most everyone has a happy ending as Waverly is pardoned and marries the love of his life.  Unfortunately the man who becomes Waverley's best friend in Scotland is executed and this friend's  beautiful and bright sister ends up in a convent in France.  Be sure to click on the book title and author's name above to follow links to more information and enjoy the video that follows. 

The Quarry Wood by Nan Shepherd

 

The Quarry Wood

by

Nan Shepherd

In preparation for my vacation to Scotland one of the books I put on my kindle was The Quarry Wood by Nan Shepherd.  I started reading it and found it quite a challenge due to the dialog.  I would pick it up and read and bit and then put it down for weeks before I tried again. This past Sunday when I was flying home from Scotland I completed the novel.  It was worth the struggle.  A classic and a coming of age story, it is a snap shop of life in rural Scotland in the early 1900s.  For someone who is struggling to understand Scotland and its history this book should be on their reading list.  Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the links to more information.  And enjoy the video that follows.  

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

 

Kidnapped 

by

Robert Louis Stevenson

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Scotland I wanted to expose myself to some classic Scottish literature.  An obvious choice was Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped.  I listed to it on audio and the narrator did a marvelous job.  Although it is considered a children's book  it would be for upper elementary or middle school aged kids and this grandma loved it!  The book is exciting and in the manner typical of literature  from the 1800s it weaves in good choices and the higher ground when it comes to morals throughout.  I am surprised I have reached my mid 60s without having experienced this book and I highly recommend it to people of all ages.  It is an excellent book.  If you click on the book title above it will take you to a free online version.  And if you click on the author's name it will take you to a biography about him.  The video below is a preview of the Masterpiece Theater 2005 recreation.  There have been several movies made of the story over the years.  This short novel is great fun and I highly recommend it.  It would be a good one to read aloud to one's kids one chapter at a time at bedtime when they are grade school age.  If you do not experience this story, either by reading it or watching one of the movies,  you are missing out.  

The Memory Of Music by Olive Collins

 

The Memory Of Music

by

Olive Collins

This afternoon I finished listening to Olive Collins' third book (for me) although it was the first  one she wrote.  Titled The Memory Of Music, it is about a family who lives in Dublin during the unrest of the the 1916 uprising and the 1922 civil war.  Men who fought together in 1916 found themselves on opposite sides in 1922.  Comrades became enemies.  The author does an excellent job of portraying how the political atmosphere at the time divided families and friends.  Another theme of the book is how war and violence breaks families for generations.  Women are at the heart of the book which is like a mystery as it is necessary to figure out several murders and deaths.  There is romance at the center of the story with deceit and betrayal.  This book held my interest and I enjoyed it.  In fact I recommend all three of this author's books.  Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the links to more information and enjoy the videos that follow.  

All That She Carried by Tiya Miles

 

All That She Carried 

by

Tiya Miles

Tiya Miles has written a master piece.  Her new book, "All That She Carried", is one you won't want to miss.  It is the non fiction story of a family heirloom that was handed down for a few generations, lost,  found in a flea market in a bag of rags, and now is on display at the Smithsonian Institute.  A cotton seed sack.  Here is a picture of the sack. 

When I read the words embroidered on the sack the hair stands up on my arms.  The words  "It be filled with my Love" brings tears to the eyes.  In fact the author explains the museum has a staff member stand near the display area of Ashley's sack with a box of Kleenex because it strongly affects so many people.  After reading this book, I have a whole new perspective on textile arts that women have historically created.  After reading this book, I will never look at a pecan in quite in the same way again.  In fact, this book is one of those books that profoundly changes a person's perspective.  Instead of trying to recapture what the author has written I am going to share two videos of the author for you to enjoy.  Please watch them.  And please follow the links by clicking on the book title and author's name above.  There is also one link imbedded into the text above to click on and follow for more information.  Most of all,  read the book.  If you don't, you are missing out.