If you liked Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay, you'll enjoy The Mapmaker's Children, by Sarah McCoy. A beautiful blending of present and past. Further, Sarah has a New York Times bestseller, The Baker's Daughter. It's on my Amazon wish list!

The Mapmaker's Children takes place primarily in New Charlestown, West Virginia. In 2014, now a quaint small town in the South. And 1859-1889, a town divided by an impending Civil War.

Eden and Jack absolutely married for love. However, their struggle with infertility has been going on for years and it's certainly taking its toll. Jack has tried everything he can think of to give Eden her heart's desires, but she can't embrace any of it knowing there's no baby in her arms. She resents everything around her and begins making plans to leave this small town life, and her husband, behind. 

Sarah Brown is the daughter of abolitionist John Brown. He is active with the Underground Railroad and eventually uses Sarah's artistic ability to draw maps for those making the trek north into freedom. That is, before John gets caught. Sarah, her mother and her sisters must head to Charles Town, Virginia, to attend his execution.

In an act of desperation, Jack tries something drastic. He brings Eden home a stray puppy. Jack travels a lot for work, so he leaves Eden in charge of caring for the adorable canine. Just in case it proves to be too much for her, he asks the little girl next door, Cleo Bronner, to help.

So both stories unfold in the same little town,  a century and a half apart. When Eden discovers a hidden door in the floor of the pantry, she starts to piece together an unrealized connection to the past.

The Mapmaker's Children has it all. Small town drama, where everybody knows your name.  A town divided and changed forever during the years leading up to and through the Civil War. Sarah Brown and her family did in fact exist. Although a work of fiction, this book offers a realistic telling of what her life might have been like.

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I received a copy of The Mapmaker's Children, written by Sarah McCoy, from Blogging for Books for the purpose of generating a review. The opinions expressed here are my own.