Book Review: The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy




I confess that I'd bypassed this book twice in choosing what I'd read for review...I am deeply sorry, I did.  Why?  Because I've just found my newest 'book friend', one of those books I expect to pick up and read again and again.

Ms. McCoy has done a difficult thing: She's told the story of two distant generations side by side.  I dislike swapping characters and centuries in books finding that the stories are muddled.  Not in this book.  Ms. McCoy has skillfully blended the two stories, while keeping them separate and distinct in the story they each tell, by threading in common characteristics and objects.

The story is part mystery, part history, and partly a coming of age sort of story though not of a child.  It is the coming of age of grown women who must find their own way from a place of grief to a place of peace, each in their own century.

I couldn't walk away from this book and hated to see it end.  I can't recommend it highly enough!

This book was provided to me courtesy of Blogging for Books in consideration of a review.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the review and recommendation. The book sounds like one I would sure love to read. I am reading an old Sam Levenson book called Sam Levenson Everything But Money. It is an autobiography with more. Well worth the read. The first copyright is 1949 and last on on my copy is 1966. His life growing up althogh many years apart is similar to Ben Carson, M.D. when I read one of his books. Good parents who thought education was the way out of poverty. Plus many other life skills. I liked his book {s} too.
I have been happy to provide books now for two families for their kids. Their age books of course! The families are stretched financially as it is and I can scout out perfect condition used books for them. Matching them up with what they want their kids to read. Fun! I have so many books myself I don't need more! Looking for books for others keeps me looking at books but not buying more for myself! :-) Win Win!
It is such a joy to be able to start others learn to love reading! Sarah

Melanie said...

Sounds like a great book - I'll have to see if my library has it! I just read through some of your latest posts and it was nice to catch up with you again. I am so sorry to hear you were diagnosed with diabetes but glad to hear you are getting on track to eating healthy. I have been on a health and nutrition "kick" for at least a couple of years now. I do tons of reading and research on this subject...books, magazines, web sites. I read the nutrition labels on literally everything I put in my mouth. I won't buy/eat anything with food colorings, MSG, excess sodium or sugar, high fructose corn syrup, carageenan, any hydrogenated oils, any nitrates or nitrites, etc. No chemicals or preservatives! To put it in a nutshell, we eat "clean". Pure, unprocessed, "real" food. Organic whenever possible. Lots of veggies and fruits, limited lean meat...we lean more towards vegetarianism with legumes and lentils, nut butters, eggs, whole grains. No fast food. And our latest thing is that we've cut waaay down on sugar (mostly nil - though I've had a little ice cream twice this summer). It was never pop or any other sweetened beverages, but homemade baked goods or ice cream (me). Both hubby and I are at our lowest weights that we've been in a long time and the psoriasis that I've had on my knees since I was 16 (and I'm now almost 53) totally disappeared since I've quit sugar! My BP, cholesterol and sugar levels are all good. I also try to fit in exercise every day - mostly walking and yoga. If you're interested, there is a FB group called My Whole Food Life Recipes with over 40,000 members! They have been a wealth of information with my healthy living/eating journey. xoxo