Review: "The Mapmaker's Children" by Sarah McCoy

This is a very appealing work of historical fiction about a little known artist, Sarah Brown. Sarah’s father was the infamous John Brown and this story begins at his hanging when she is 13. Even from a young age, she is a staunch abolitionist and wishes to do whatever she can do to help. Since most slaves cannot read and she is a talented artist, she begins to draw picture maps to help them on their journey on the Under Ground Railroad. After these are discovered, she devises a way to paint the maps on dolls’ faces to aid in their journey.

The author uses a unique story telling method. She incorporates a story from the present and ties both together. Eden Anderson and her husband have purchased a house in West Virginia. Through a stroke of fate, they find a doll’s head in a secret room hidden under the pantry. The head has two different colored eyes and strange paint on her face. This starts the search for where it came from and what it could mean. The two stories switch throughout the book from Sarah’s to Eden’s and how they are tied together.

I truly enjoyed this story, especially Sarah’s portion. The author combines historical facts with fiction to make it exciting and page turning. The characters have depth and you can feel the emotions. While the present day portion was interesting, it was not as compelling as the past. The characters did not seem to have the depth and the story appeared to be forced to fit the details of Sarah’s portion.

This is a very good book to read if you are beginning to explore this era of history. The story is engaging and thought-provoking enough to compel you to do further research. This can be read and enjoyed by both young and old readers.

I have requested and reviewed this book for NetGallery