The Memory Weaver Book Review

SUMMARY:  Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847.  Now a mother of two, Eliza faces a new kind of dislocation: her impulsive husband wants to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her mother's grave - and returning to the land of her captivity.

     Haunted by memories and hounded by struggle, Eliza longs to know how her mother dealt with the trauma of their ordeal.  As she searches the pages of her mother's diary, Eliza is stunned to find that her own recollections tell only part of the story.

     Based on true events, The Memory Weaver is New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick's latest literary journey into the past, where threads of western landscapes, family, and faith weave a tapestry of hope inside every pioneering woman's heart.  Get swept up in this emotional story of the memories that entangle us and the healing that awaits us when we bravely unravel the threads of the past.

REVIEW:  Since I was not familiar with the story of the actual events, I had a difficult time fully understanding everything going on in the book.  The relationship between Eliza and her dad was a strange one.  After the death of Mrs. Spalding, Mr. Spalding treated Eliza almost like his wife - even though she was only 14 year old, putting her in charge of keeping house, taking care of her siblings, cooking for everyone and sewing and mending their clothes - but hardly communicated with her.  He would take Eliza, and sometime her brother, on preaching trips for weeks, leaving Mrs. Spalding behind.  When she eloped with her husband, her father basically disowned her and wouldn't talk to her for years. 
     The flashbacks of the hostage situation that Eliza had were difficult to follow because they happened at odd times and seemed really random.  Towards the end of the book, as Eliza confronts her fears and returns to the area where her captivity occurred, she is given her mother's diaries which, along with a few other things, helps clarify what actually transpired. 
     Even though the ending wrapped up some questions and confusion I had, this is still a novel that I might have trouble recommending.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling author of twenty-seven books, including A Light in the Wilderness and A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the coveted Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center.  Her books have been awarded the WILLA Literary Award and Carol Award for Historical Fiction and have been finalists for many others.  Jane lives in Central Oregon with her husband, Jerry.  Learn more at www.jkbooks.com.