The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy

The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy is a fantastic read.  In this book Ms McCoy takes the reader into the life of Eden and Jack Anderson who have purchased an old historical house in the suburbs of Washington D.C.  Eden and Jack are trying to have a baby and have been trying for  years.  They are exhausted and the hormones that Eden is forced to take is making her short tempered and self centered.  Jack is often away from home for his job and has hired the neighbor girl to help out with the new dog he has brought home.  Eden and Cleo, the young neighbor girl, are getting acquainted and start discovering more and more about the old house and the new dog.  The house was possibly once a part of the Underground Railroad and Cleo and Eden are looking for the clues necessary to get it on the National Register of Historic Places with the first clue being the china doll head found in the root cellar.  Side by side in separate chapters is told in fictional tone the story of Sarah Brown, talented and intelligent real life daughter of the famous John Brown.  The house which the Andersons now reside is one of the many that Sarah lived with her family.  She was a talented artist and drew pictures into which were hidden clues for the passengers on the UGRR (underground railroad) to find their way north.

I love reading history and so I also loved reading this fictionalized version of some of the things that Sarah Brown might have done to help continue her father's cause after his hanging.  This book is well written and holds the reader's attention well.  Anyone who is interested in the history of the underground railroad would love reading this novel.  I would give this book 5 stars in all categories and it could be read by anyone of any age who could read the words.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.