The Next Best Book Club discussion

I also enjoyed the letters. There was so much love and emotion in their letters to each other. My favorite line in the whole book was when Sarah finally discloses why she didn't marry Freddy, and he told her that he'd love her more because of that. Still gives me chills.

Hi Sarah! Glad for a chance to discuss another one of your fascinating books. w
What draws you to historical fiction? Both The Baker's Daughter and The Mapmaker's Children take place during periods of war and hardship. Why do you like exploring humanity during these times of peril?

Hi Sarah,
As you know I loved this book. I love the combination of fact and fiction. Is that your preferred style of writing? When is your next book coming out? What is your favorite book/author? Sassy Massy just loves all the research that goes into your books, do you do that much research for all your books?

I also really enjoyed this book. Most times I do not like back and forth in time, but you made it very clear and did not have a lot of similar names that gets one confused. I kept thinking I would know the ending, but I was wrong and was very happy with how it ended. Is the house really there still? What a brave lady Sarah was.

I very much enjoyed your book, Sarah. I was immediately struck by the theme of infertility that your characters experienced in both eras of the novel. Was that an idea that came to you early in the planning - that both women would find ways to parent and nurture without having biological children of their own?

I was wondering about the infertility issue, too.

Hi, Sarah,
I really enjoyed your book. I very much appreciated the theme of "chosen families": how Sarah essentially became part of the Hill family and how she later became a mother to the Fisher children. And the parallel story of how Eden became like a mother to Cleo. Very nicely done. (Coincidentally, a book this group discussed earlier this month, "A Shelter of Others," also had a theme of "found families," although, otherwise, it's a very different book from yours.)

I also really liked the character of Alice Hill. She's very believable, and it's touching how sensitive her family is to her special needs.

Thank you for including the recipe for CricKet BisKets. I'm a little skeptical of eating dog biscuits--are they tasty?

I know you did a great deal of research on the Brown family. Are the Hills, Fishers and Silverdashes fictional or did they exist historically?

Lori wrote: "Hi everyone! Are you ready for our discussion kickoff?!

Sarah will be popping in all week long to tackle any questions you have and to engage you in some convo regarding her book.

As I always do..."

Yes, yes, yes, Susan! I'm so thrilled to have been able to meet and hug on you in the flesh. Y'all, I tell you what... I am continually awed by what loving, BEAUTIFUL readers I have. (Call me biased but you truly are!) We only see each other in these 1/4 inch avatars so you rarely know what people actually look like. I feel so blessed because it seems all of my readers are radiant online and off!

Again, thank you for coming out to my Texas Book Festival presentation, Susan. A treat and a forever memory! Wasn't the festival the absolute best? Such a spirit of love and book celebration at every turn. I just returned at midnight this morning, so I'm still whirling from C-SPAN and Austin BBQ in the shadow of the grand Texas Capitol.

Happy Monday and I hope you'll be on here at our Goodreads chat party all week, my dear.

Yours truly,
Sarah

Sarah, the book festival was an amazing experience! How can you not love to be at a place where you are surrounded by books: people talking about them, reading them, carrying the, buying them! Best of all, the interaction with authors was just so special! I hold all of you in such high regard! I'm in awe of what you do, and you are superheroes, movie stars, and rock stars in my mind! Best of all, was the chance to meet you in person, getting to hug you and let you know just how much I appreciate your work, is the most amazing thing!! I can't wait to hear your responses to this discussion! Thank you for taking the time to visit with me yesterday, a moment I will treasure always! xoxo

Lori wrote: "Hi everyone! Are you ready for our discussion kickoff?!

Sarah will be popping in all week long to tackle any questions you have and to engage you in some convo regarding her book.

As I always do..."

Lovely Lori, our TNBBC ringleader,

First and foremost, thank you so much for having me to this wonderful The Next Best Book Club Goodreads chat party. I'm always delighted to interact with readers online and off. Also, congrats to our THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN copy winners! I pray you all enjoyed reading, and I'm so excited to talk about the book here this week. Of course, as those who've seen me do events in person or via Skype, I am open to talking about all things!

So your question regarding the tour is apropos. I just flew back at midnight this morning from three days of nonstop book fiesta-ing at the Texas Book Festival in Austin. Y'all know I try to hit as many gigs as my boots will allow, so when I tell you that this festival is the most party-packed I've ever attended, you know it's TRUTH.

Every hour was simply stuffed to the brim with events, interviews, parties, cocktail hours, dinners Lit Crawls through popular Austin bars, and opportunities to meet your favorite authors in intimate settings. Simply marvelous! But it does tucker an author out. I'm nursing a dark, long-brewed, Irish Breakfast tea at this moment. Bring on the caffeine!

The point (and as we talk here, you'll see that I am a woman who encourages tangents in discussion--sometimes the most interesting chats come out of simply allowing ourselves to go where the convo leads!): if you haven't been to a book festival, you must go to one sometime soon. They are fast becoming "the place" to book it up!

To answer your question, Lori, the tour is going swimmingly well! The book came out six months ago, so I'm ecstatic when I go to events and see a crowd of folks waving THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN at me still! I feel so blessed and fortunate to have so many readers embracing my work and cheering for it on social media and in person!

THANK YOU READERS!!

I'll be popping on at random every day all week so I'll be sure to chat with everyone often. This TNBBC Goodreads party is officially kicked off!

More soon... xx

Sarah wrote: "Lori wrote: "Hi everyone! Are you ready for our discussion kickoff?!

Sarah will be popping in all week long to tackle any questions you have and to engage you in some convo regarding her book.

A..."SASSY MASSY IS VERY HAPPY TO SAY " THANK YOU WRITERS FOR GIVING US THE AMAZING READS!

Hi Sarah,
I a thrilled to have won a copy of your Mapmaker's Children. I was wondering how you first came to the story of Sarah Brown.

Hi Sarah,

I would first like to thank you for my copy of The Mapmaker's Children. I absolutely loved this book! I wish I were fortunate enough to meet you and attend book signings, but honestly I was completely stoked to read that you also call Virginia home & you taught at ODU! As for the book, I am curious what compelled you to write in this genre and why you chose this setting. What was the most challenging part, and what influenced you?

Thank you,
Kim

hi Sarah! (one of my favorite author-esses)

what i love about your writing in general is that you pick such diverse topics - from your YA set in Puerto Rico to the Baker's Daughter (I loved reading about the Lebensborn program) and now the Underground Railroad

do you have any method to your madness for picking your book theme or is it just something that catches your eye?

Hi Sarah! One of my favorite genres is history, and I also love historical fiction when done well. This book was really done well, and I'm thrilled to have won a copy through this wonderful group on Goodreads. I read this book rather quickly as I just couldn't put it down! Though I loved both story lines, I especially loved the story of Sarah. I'll admit, I had a tough time liking Eden's character, and I struggled to find her believeable, but she ended up growing on me as well :) I've always wondered, how much of a book needs to be factual in order for it to be classified as historical fiction?

You are the author that got me addicted to historical fiction. I loved all your books!

Deborah - have you tried Kristina McMorris (she is a friend of Sarah's - i can't remember who introduced me to who)?

Historical fiction is my favorite genre. I'm also a big fan of dual timelines, and yours worked beautifully in this book. Eden and Sarah were similar in some ways, but also very different. Do you like writing historical fiction because it's your favorite genre to read? what other historical fiction authors do you admire the most?

Dee wrote: "Deborah - have you tried Kristina McMorris (she is a friend of Sarah's - i can't remember who introduced me to who)?"
No I haven't , I will have to check her out! Thank you
I think I might have The Edge of Lost on NetGalley. I have to check it out.

i haven't read that one yet - its on the pile - i just got an ARC from here - Sarah, Kristina and a bunch of other authors wrote an anthology of WW2 fiction with a common theme - they all used Grand Central Station in NY as a location somewhere in their story

Dee wrote: "i haven't read that one yet - its on the pile - i just got an ARC from here - Sarah, Kristina and a bunch of other authors wrote an anthology of WW2 fiction with a common theme - they all used Gran..."

I have the Grand Central book. I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I had it autographed by Sarah at our meet and greet dinner, along with her other books. I will have to read that one right now. Thanks Dee!

Deborah, be sure to read Grand Central! Excellent book!

I liked this book because of the comparison between women. Sarah was strong and trapped by war and views of the expectations of the era for women. Eden on the other hand is a "modern woman" but still feels the pressure to have biological children. Her husband seemed a bit too perfect. But he saw she was going through a self changing period. Both women misjudged the men they loved. Sadly, Sarah was unable to voice her problems to Freddie. Eden was able to talk more openly on her internal conflicts. Children whether biological, adopted, or "inherited" (for lack of a better term) can be loved and should be loved all the same.

It was sad that Sarah felt like she couldn't be honest with Freddy, but Eden kept secrets from Jack, too, despite the fact that she lives in a more open era.

She did keep detests, but I think she imposed that on herself. Her husband encouraged her to talk on her own terms. He didn't push her, but gave her opportunities. I think Freddy would have also if it had not been for this distance between them. I feel Sarah felt it improper to discuss her inability to have children, whereas Eden could talk about it and chose not to.

Sorry my spell checker stuck again. Secrets, not detest

I think Sarah felt she was too flawed for Freddie and gave up on a wonderful love because of it. Maybe it was the norm for this time period for women to feel less than if they were barren.

Susan wrote: "He was our cameraman. ☺️"

Too kind about my Doc B. I think he's pretty sweet. He was happy to be cameraman to you and your gallant husband, my dear. Thanks again for coming out to the Texas Book Fest to party-hardy with me!

Deanna wrote: "Hi Sarah,
I loved, I mean really loved this book. I am really glad that I did not read any reviews on this book or your previous book before I started reading it. So, my question to you is, do you..."

Hi Deanna, welcome!

Hm, you know 90% of my book reviews have been phenomenal and from the most loving readers so I've never thought to consider the question you posed... I'm not a person who lets naysayers affect what I feel passionate about--that goes for my books and life beliefs! I simply aim to be authentic to myself and to the characters in the story. If readers connect with that, fabulous! If they don't, that's okay, too.

The beauty of literature is that each story is calling the exact reader who needs to hear its story. Sometimes a reader might pick up a book because his/her friend heard the calling but he/she might not. Thus, the story won't resonate the same. It's so subjective--and that's what makes it such fun and life-altering.

Also, as you put it, there are those who feel compelled to negatively criticize no matter what. That, too, is their way of connecting to literature and/or the literary community. Being the devil's advocate and stirring up conversation. I welcome them with open arms, too! But again, it won't ever change how I write or the subject matter I feel led to investigate and elaborate on in story worlds.

That all said, I'm SO happy you "loved, I mean really loved" THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN. No greater joy for an author. Truly. I'm humbled and grateful. I hope you spread that loving review all over Goodreads and Amazon.

Patricia wrote: "Hi Sara!

I thought Sarah's chapters were so interesting, I enjoyed reading about the Underground Railroad and I loved the letters between Sarah and Freddy."

Hurray! Welcome Patricia, and I'm so thrilled you enjoyed all the UGRR research and epistolary narrative form. I happen to be an old-fashioned letter lover.

For the research of this book, I read through dozens of letters from John Brown to his wife Mary while he was jailed and waiting to be hung in Jefferson County after the raid. To see his handwriting and hear his uncensored devotion to his family was truly touching. Sometimes I wonder if future generations will lose true understanding of our society today because of the lack of hardcopy transcripts... emails gone in a poof. I try to write my beloveds as many handwritten notes as possible. Even if it's just a little, "Hello, I'm thinking of you!" on a slip of paper in the mail.

Rosanna wrote: "Hi Sarah! Glad for a chance to discuss another one of your fascinating books. w
What draws you to historical fiction? Both The Baker's Daughter and The Mapmaker's Children take place during periods..."

Welcome, Rosanna, and great question! First off, I'm a big time history nerd. I could only have The History Channel on my cable and be perfectly content. I love it! So I think one must have a penchant for learning about the past in order to venture into this genre. I also happened to believe that the true essence of people in a society presents itself when they are confronted with conflict. When their worlds are put in a vice and they are forced to make difficult choices based on their immediate worldview and belief systems. I'm fascinated by this... by good people doing "bad" things and/or bad people acting out in the name of "righteous" obedience to some lofty ideal. The muddling of good and evil, right and wrong, the collective ethics versus the individual. War time is ripe territory to explore this, and I love reading (and writing) to educate myself on past people's lives. Hundreds and hundreds of years may pass but the patterns of the heart and mind remain the same. I want to learn from the legacies of my progenitors so as not to repeat their mistakes.

Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah,
As you know I loved this book. I love the combination of fact and fiction. Is that your preferred style of writing? When is your next book coming out? What is your favorite book/author? S..."

Hello there gorgeous!

Sarah wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah,
As you know I loved this book. I love the combination of fact and fiction. Is that your preferred style of writing? When is your next book coming out? What is your favorit..."

Hello beautiful!

Chris wrote: "I also really enjoyed this book. Most times I do not like back and forth in time, but you made it very clear and did not have a lot of similar names that gets one confused. I kept thinking I would ..."

Hi Chris! Welcome to our weeklong chat party!

I'm thrilled you loved the back & forth hybrid format. I know it can be tricky for some, but I love "tricking" my brain with puzzles and narrative mysteries. That's the kind of fiction I read so that's the kind I write.

Elizabeth wrote: "I very much enjoyed your book, Sarah. I was immediately struck by the theme of infertility that your characters experienced in both eras of the novel. Was that an idea that came to you early in the..."

Indeed, very much so, Elizabeth (and Susan who chimed in on this infertility topic, too). The inspiration for this book first came from Eden. She was saying one of the opening lines of her contemporary story, "A dog is not a child." That voice and statement haunted me for months until I finally wrote it down in my journal and the subsequent scene surrounding it (i.e. Jack bringing Cricket home to a deeply wounded and hurting Eden who lashes out with this statement that she doesn't believe deep down.)

From page 1, THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN was about the definition of a family: what it is and why it is what it is; but most importantly, how all families are truly outside the mold. Uniquely their own and immeasurably full of love. I wanted to celebrate that and allow Sarah Brown's story to empower us (Edens of today). We can learn from the past and embrace our contemporary happily-ever-afters, whatever form!

Constance wrote: "Hi, Sarah,
I really enjoyed your book. I very much appreciated the theme of "chosen families": how Sarah essentially became part of the Hill family and how she later became a mother to the Fisher c..."

Dearest Constance, thank you for being part of our Goodreads chat party and for your incredibly loving praise of the book!

Re: the included recipe. It's 100% a genuine DOG RECIPE. I.e. You could eat it, because it's organic, but it won't taste nearly as good to you as it will to your fur darling. That said, I've had a handful of book clubs across the country tell me that they simply added sugar to the recipe and it came out beautifully as human treats.

When I think about what you're saying about families, it makes me think of all the characters in the book who were not related by blood, but who became important parts of each family, both Eden's and Sarah's. Sarah especially was so open to letting everyone into her ever-growing family, and although Eden was reluctant at first, she eventually came around. Freddy's family was also so generous and open to everyone they loved, including Sarah's family.

Susan wrote: "Sarah, the book festival was an amazing experience! How can you not love to be at a place where you are surrounded by books: people talking about them, reading them, carrying the, buying them! Best..."

Sweetest Susan! This message made me tear up at my laptop, where I'm sitting in the pitch black of my writing office chatting on this thread and listening to A RAINSTORM sweep torrents across the desert. We only get rain maybe 5X a year in the autumn season (now). So it always feels magical, and even more so as I read your immensely loving words to the pitter-patter. ☔️

Deborah wrote: "Dee wrote: "i haven't read that one yet - its on the pile - i just got an ARC from here - Sarah, Kristina and a bunch of other authors wrote an anthology of WW2 fiction with a common theme - they a..."

Susan wrote: "Deborah, be sure to read Grand Central! Excellent book!"

Just a quick response regarding GRAND CENTRAL.

1) Thank you for recommending it, Susan! My novella therein is the continuing story from THE BAKER'S DAUGHTER of Hazel, Elsie's sister in the Lebensborn Program.

2) Deb, I hope you enjoy the anthology and Kris-Mc's body of work! She is, indeed, a treasured friend of mine. Such a heart. Enjoy, enjoy!

P.S. I love this sharing of lit love! There's no greater honor than introducing readers to author friends I adore!

Deborah wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah,
As you know I loved this book. I love the combination of fact and fiction. Is that your preferred style of writing? When is your next book coming out? What i..."

Oh my gosh! Is that all that posted?? I wrote a whole, HUGE long response and poof-- the Internet ate it!

Hi again Sarah,

another observation I had was how dogs were a part of both families. I also started believing that the dogs were also related :-) how did you decide the "puppy" would play a subtle yet important role in the story?

Hi, again, Sarah,

Did the Hills, the Fishers and the Silverdashes exist historically or are they fictional? I know this wasn't part of your story, but do you know if Louisa May Alcott was an abolitionist, or was she just a friend to Sarah Brown?

Good question Constance. I was wondering that too, and I loved all the references throughout to various authors from that time :)

Sarah wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hi Sarah,
As you know I loved this book. I love the combination of fact and fiction. Is that your preferred style of writing? When is your next book co..."

I know how the internet can be, Sarah. Who is your favorite author, if you have time to read? Do you always travel around the country when researching for a book? xx

Sarah,

I'm curious why you chose the quote "and a cannon ball blew my eyes away" for Denny's guitar case. I admit I wasn't familiar with the song (by Blind Boy Grunt :-) and I enjoyed learning the history behind this song and the other variations sung during the war.

I concur with the thought that Jack is a little too perfect, though perhaps for the purposes of Eden's story he had to be such. I'll add that I think the contemporary timeline wrapped up a bit too neatly. That said, I did enjoy these sections more than I'd anticipated given that I tend to prefer the more "historical" sections. Cleo is a little firebrand that one can't help but like.

Sarah, I'm curious as to whether any of the characters ended up differently than how you'd initially envisioned, or was that pretty smooth sailing?

Let me just tell you, TNBBC friends, that to EACH of my responses above, I wrote 70% more and for some reason the Goodreads thread erased/deleted/eradicated/gobbled the majority of my posts. For **each** of you.

I was in our chat for nearly 4 hours yesterday and yet so many of responses came across in 2-3 sentences instead of the dozens I wrote. I'm a little bereft but on a MISSION not to let this Internet goblin beat me! I have no idea why it did this yesterday but pray it won't continue! More soon... and hopefully the Internet gods will allow me to post my FULL thoughts. xx

Sorry about the Internet woes, Sarah. So frustrating!

I feel your pain. I have a war with spellcheck. I check my spelling and when I send it changes the words I type.

internet gremlins!