Review: The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy

Sarah Brown, daughter of abolitionist John Brown, is even more determined to help the cause after her father is executed. Known for her artistic talent, she begins using dolls as a canvas to share the routes of the Underground Railroad.  After learning that, as a result of an accident in her childhood, she cannot bear children, she becomes even more determined to guarantee the safety of slaves fleeing north. Soon, however, her family names, and connections to the abolitionist movement, put her and her family in danger, forcing her to flee the only home she's known in order to protect her own safety.

Fast forward to present time: Eden and her husband have purchased an old home in the West Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C. Struggling with fertility issues, her relationship with her husband is shaky, to say the least.  Their home bears years of secrets and, in discovering a root cellar, she finds the head of a porcelain doll.  In uncovering the history behind it, she learns that her house was once a stopping point on the Underground Railroad. The history of danger and salvation allows Eden to gain a new perspective on the fate she's been dealt. This relic of the past allows her to connect with Sarah Brown, two women struggling with similar losses, desperate to find new meaning an hope in their lives.

I’m not going to hold back on my adoration of this book.  Set less than an hour from my own home, it was easy for me to become absorbed in this novels rich setting. Joined with two incredibly well developed characters, I grew to respect and cherish Eden and Sarah’s characters. Two women, separated by time, yet connected by the desperate need to have a value and purpose in life, to leave a legacy.

In this area, we are all very familiar with the uprise at Harper’s Ferry and of the great abolitionist John Brown. My boys study it in school; we visit Harper’s Ferry quite regularly.  Yet to uncover this deeper side of the story puts a completely different perspective on it.  Somehow, it makes it all more real.  Though aspects of it are obviously fictionalized, it is quite apparent that McCoy did tremendous amount of research in the development of this novel. We know of John Brown’s impact on the abolitionist movement, we are aware of his placement and importance in history. That said, we don’t know much about him, as an individual, or the legacy he left behind in his family.   Watching the characters come alive on the pages before me,  McCoy added dimension to this already monumental man in history.

The modern storyline was incredibly rewarding as well. Though I’ve had no issues with fertility (hence my two boys!) I completely appreciated with Eden’s desire to have some impact on the world around her.  She went from a bitter woman unable to have children to a truly caring woman who made her own mark on those around her.  Squeals of delight were uttered when scenes from my own town made an appearance (Sterling Chipotle!!), really bringing this novel home to me.

For this reason, this novel may be my favorite of Sarah McCoy’s. I instantly felt a connection with Sarah, and with Eden, drawn to the rich history that surrounds me.  I laughed, I sobbed (the loud, nasty sob), I simply adored this novel. Any novel that evokes this sort of emotional reaction in me is destined for greatness, I have no doubt. A must read for fans of historical fiction. Highly, highly recommended!