A worn family Bible. A packet of ribbon tied letters. A faded family photograph. These are the things that hold each of the scattered Gallagher siblings together. Orphaned by a fire, the three siblings are brought to Missouri to be adopted by separate families. Kim Vogel Sawyer masterfully weaves together the stories of the siblings in My Heart Remembers.
Maelle, the oldest daughter is forced to watch as the only family she has known is ripped away from her. Her baby sister is adopted by a wealthy family, while her brother Mattie is taken in by a family grieving the loss of their own son. With her shorn hair, Maelle is mistaken by a boy and adopted by a traveling photographer.
Before the separation, “Mike” (as Maelle is known) puts a plan into motion. She gives Molly’s adoptive parents the family Bible. Mattie takes the family photograph and she keeps the love letters that their parents wrote to each other. Mike promises to come after her siblings after she’s older so that they can be a family again.
My Heart Remembers carefully follows each of the young Gallagher siblings. Molly has no recollection of any family besides the wealthy one that she was adopted into. Mattie is haunted by memories of a childhood of being tossed around from house to house, never finding a home. Mike has to come to terms with her womanhood when she has grown up in a man’s world. Each sibling has a distinct story and Kim Vogel Sawyer masterfully breathes life into each of the characters.
The reader is taken on a journey and shown the changes that take place in each of the siblings. By the end of the book, the characters have each undergone tremendous spiritual changes without losing their personality. If you are looking for a book to take you on a journey, consider placing an order for your copy now.
Review By:
Caitlin Muir
www.domesticbootcamp.wordpress.com