The Memory Weaver

GIVEAWAY

KIRKPATRICK, JANE
THE MEMORY WEAVER

Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847. Now the young mother of two children, Eliza faces a different kind of dislocation; her impulsive husband wants them to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her departed mother's grave--and returning to the land of her captivity. Eliza longs to know how her mother, an early missionary to the Nez Perce Indians, dealt with the challenges of life with a sometimes difficult husband and with her daughter's captivity.

When Eliza is finally given her mother's diary, she is stunned to find that her own memories are not necessarily the whole story of what happened. Can she lay the dark past to rest and move on? Or will her childhood memories always hold her hostage?

My Review:

This fictional biography of Eliza Spalding Warren is a sobering read. I've come away with a new appreciation for the tenacity of the pioneering spirit. And the women in particular.  Every aspect of their lives was determined by the whims of a man, be it father or husband. Their men boasted grandiose dreams and expected the women to scurry around taking care of all the practicalities to make those dreams possible.

Eliza just never seemed evenly yoked. First with her father who tried to control her future without regard for her own wishes and then with a husband who fought his own demons in soul-destroying ways. As if that isn't enough to cope with she is dealing with her own turbulent past. Talk about courageous. Determined. A true overcomer.

Jane Kirkpatrick has a distinctive flare for words that convey depth and meaning even in the simplest of phrases. Like this: "We don't recall the detail in our stories; we remember the experiences." Profound, right? Made me stop and think and then ponder some more. I didn't totally get it until I finished reading Eliza's story. Now I have a glimmer of understanding and don't those words just fit so beautifully with the title, The Memory Weaver?

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Memory Weaver please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 4 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!