The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy

Sarah Brown is the daughter of abolitionist John Brown. After suffering an illness as a child, Sarah is unable to bear children so all of her passion and energy is poured into her father's work in the underground railroad. As a talented artist, Sarah incorporates symbols in her paintings, which in turn are maps for the underground railroad. She becomes one of the Underground Railroad's leading mapmakers. As tensions rise and the country is heading for the Civil War, Sarah's work becomes more important, but she has to make difficult sacrifices along the way.

Fast forward over 150 years later and Sarah's story is running parallel with that of Eden Anderson, a modern day woman struggling with infertility. Eden and her husband Jack have just purchased an old home in the suburbs of Washington D.C., and Eden discovers the porcelain head of a doll in an old root cellar of the house. This doll is the link to the underground railroad and the history of what happened in that home and to Sarah.

Both Eden and Sarah share the same struggles in not being able to bear children. I enjoyed Sarah's story much more than Eden's story. Eden was a difficult character for me to like. All in all, though the story of Sarah carries the day and makes this book an enjoyable one to read. The story of Sarah is based on the real Sarah Brown which makes the telling all the more interesting.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Reservations for Two by Hillary Manton Lodge

France, Italy, food, a long distance romance, and a mystery from the past are all included in this book which is the second in the "Two Blue Doors" series. Juliette was a food editor and now is embarking on managing a brand new restaurant with the help of her brother. She has a lot going on in her life besides a career change. Her mother is undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, she is traveling to France to uncover a mystery involving her French grandmother and she is involved in a long distance romance with Neil. Neil is an immunologist in Memphis while Juliette's work and family are in Portland, Oregon.

As Juliette deals with the uncertainty in her life, she struggles to deal with her mother's illness and the long distance relationship and where it may be headed. Juliette discovers her grandmother's letters at the family chateau in France. She reads them on her return home to solve some questions about her grandmother and her life during World War II. The letters make for interesting reading and I thought they were the best part of the book. The letters may guide Juliette in dealing with her present challenges.

Cooking and food is very much a part of the book and there are recipes interspersed throughout the book. Culinary enthusiasts will enjoy that part of the book. I did not read the first book and was lost as to the story line in the beginning of the book. I think it may be difficult to initially get into the book if you have not read the first book in the series.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review

A Nice Little Place on the North Side by George F. Will

This is a wonderful book for die hard Cub fans. The author takes a look at the Cubs baseball team and their historic home, Wrigley Field. As Wrigley Field enters its second century, George Will takes a look at this iconic field and the up and down (mostly down) history of its ball team. The book is a collection of many stories of past teams and important events and the personalities that have come to be associated with the team. I was especially interested to learn why the outfield has its ivy covered walls. This story along with many others makes enjoyable reading for any baseball fan.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Pharaoh's Daughter by Mesu Andrews

This book brings ancient Egypt and the book of Exodus alive. Anippe, daughter of Pharaoh, and sister of King Tut lives a life of fear after seeing her mother die in childbirth. Married at an early age to a Egyptian soldier who is sent off to war soon after the wedding, she is terrified of getting pregnant and giving birth. While her husband is off to war, she pretends to be pregnant after finding a baby floating in the Nile near her bathhouse. She manages to deceive the members of the household and the royal family, but lives in constant fear of her secret being found out.

The boy Mehy (who is Moses) grows up and is trained to be a prince and a warrior in Egypt. The lives of Mehy and Anippe are closely interwoven with the Hebrew slaves especially those who work in the linen making industry which Anippe overseers. The lives of the Hebrew slaves and their worship of El-Shaddai contrasts with the Egyptian gods and Pharaoh who is seen as divine. The Egyptians live in fear and turmoil at the whims of Pharaoh and the cruelty of his guards.

This is a fascinating look at the life of Moses from the perspective of his surrogate Egyptian mother along with the culture of Ancient Egypt. It is an engaging story that shows the faith of the Hebrews as well as the bloodshed and savage politics of Egypt. This books makes that time period come alive. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Ancient Egypt and Biblical fiction.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

William Henry is a Fine Name by Cathy Gohlke

This story about the underground railroad and a young boy's coming to terms with the issue of slavery is well written and very engaging. It is not difficult to see why it won a Christy award for excellence.

Robert is a boy who grows up having not a clue about slavery, the underground railroad and racism. His father is employed on a plantation where the owner had freed all his slaves the year before Robert was born. His mother is from a slave holding family and was disowned by her father when she married Robert's father who was from the north. In spite of this and the fact that Robert's best friend is William Henry who happens to have black skin while Robert's is white, things go along fairly well until the summer when Robert is thirteen.

Robert's father disappears during the night fairly often causing disagreements with Robert's mother, Caroline, who views slavery as a natural part of life. Caroline's father becomes ill and Caroline decides she needs to see her father again so Caroline and Robert travel from Maryland to Ashland Plantation in North Carolina. Once there Caroline easily adapts to having slaves and Robert is torn as to what he believes about slavery.

The plight of slaves and the workings of the underground railroad makes this book hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review.

Dead Wake by Erik Larson

Once again Erik Larson does a superb job of making an event in history come alive. One of my all time favorite books is "The Devil in the White City." "Dead Wake" comes in as a close second in my non fiction favorites. Larson has a way of coming at an event from all different angles and weaving personal stories along with the facts to make for a fascinating read.

The luxury ocean liner, Lusitania, sets sail from New York to Liverpool, England on May 1, 1915 in the midst of the war between England and Germany. President Woodrow Wilson is hesitant to enter the United States in the battle again Germany even though neutral American ships have been torpedoed by German U Boats and lives of Americans lost. Wilson is also reeling from the death of his wife in the previous year and has embarked on a new relationship with a younger woman.

Meanwhile England is hoping to get the United States involved with them in the war against Germany. Some of the leaders in the government and the navy seem to be hoping for some act of Germany involving the lost of American lives to be the impetus for the U.S. to support England in their war efforts. England's intelligence bureau has information about the German U Boats in the vicinity of where the Lusitania will be traveling. That information does not seem to have been adequately communicated to the captain of the ship prior to the tragedy of the torpedoing of the Lusitania. Questions are raised if England could have done more to prevent the tragedy.

The U Boat's commander and his submarine's travels are also highlighted leading up to the torpedoing of the Lusitania. U Boat Commanders were rewarded for how much tonnage they destroyed and the Lusitania destruction contributed greatly to his total.

Finally insights into the lives of the passengers aboard that ill fated voyage make the people come alive for the reader. All these aspects, the backdrop of the war, the politics in the United States and the personal life of President Wilson, the U Boat Commander, the intelligence information obtained by the British and the innocent lives who boarded the Lusitania on May 1, 1915 are woven together to make a fascinating look at that time in history and a tragedy that possibly could have been prevented.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

"Possible" by Stephan Bauman

Few people would dispute that there is an abundance of poverty and suffering in the world. The author of "Possible," Stephan Bauman, challenges readers to rethink and change how they change the world. He invites individuals to look to see what bothers them the most and to choose one issue to immerse themselves in through researching the issue and praying about the issue. His premise is that if individuals take this call seriously there can be a real impact on the world around them. This can also be applied to a group of people as well.

One thought provoking idea is that the opposite of poverty is not wealth but community. In coming to the aid of those in need we need to re-examine what role we need to play in the area of need. Coming alongside those in need to help them develop their own networks and see themselves as their own agents of change is essential. A good example of that is in micro financing that is done in third world countries. A community sets up their own bank which people contribute their savings to and then also lends that money to people setting up their own business or enterprise. The money stays in the community and is re-invested. They are investing in each other's lives and making a difference in their community. This creates a sense of self worth and hope.

The back of the book has two tools - one tool is for discovering and designing change and the other is a tool for mobilizing, implementing and multiplying change. These tools could be used by an individual and also applied to a church or mission group. This book is for those who are serious about social justice and for making a difference in the lives of those suffering and in dire need.

I received this book for free from "Blogging for Books" for this review.