Memories Stir the Heart

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Memories Stir the Heart by Barbara K. McDonald ISBN: 0741407388 Infinity Publishing 167 pages Soft Cover

Book Description: Rich in historical and geographical detail, Memories Stir the Heart is the compelling story of a woman who lived during the mid-1800's. The story begins as Molly Hoehne learns of the death of her husband, cattle driver Jesse Hoehne. After his funeral, Molly sits on the porch with her daughters and places Jesse's spurs and a picture into an old weathered chest filled with cherished keepsakes. In the midst of tragedy, she looks at the remembrances of days gone by and reminisces about her life, recalling her hopes, dreams, loves, heartaches, and the adversities she has encountered.

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REVIEW submitted on Amazon.com Memories is a Memorable Reading Experience, February 13, 2005 Reviewer: Raina Satori Memories Stir the Heart is the riveting account of a woman by the name of Molly Hoehne and her journey through the American west in the mid-1800s. The book reads like an intimate diary recording the day-to-day struggle for survival in a hostile land. In one instance the heroine muses on the difficulty of a seemingly easy task. "I soon realized trail cooking required a good deal of resourcefulness and imagination. I wasn't used to cooking outside and simple as it may sound, it was sometimes a great challenge just to get the kettle to stand upright, to keep the smoke out of my eyes, and keep ashes out of the food." A more dramatic passage pumps up the reader's adrenalin with the realistic description of death on an icy mountain pass. Treacherous river crossings, venomous snakes, disease, and other dangers are depicted with equal authenticity. Memories Stir the Heart is an engrossing book that will leave you begging for more from the talented author.

REVIEW by Dan Smith Midwest Book Review February 2005 History fans and readers of romantic stories will both be blown away by the historical detail and heartwarming plot of Memories Stir the Heart, by Barbara McDonald. Set in the mid-1800s, a time when the Oregon Trail was the primary means of traveling west, Barbara paints a very vivid picture of life in a wagon train. Her main character's personal struggles as a wife of a less-than-decent man keep the reader interested, as does the final companionship found, and lost, between herself and a cattle-driver named Jesse Hoehne.

As she works through the memories in her wooden chest, Molly Hoehne recalls her pain, sorrow, and joy at each item. While the memories stir her heart, the reader sees the longing and the hope for perfect love. It is a hope that drives her, in the last paragraph of the book, to say, "Well, who knows what tomorrow will bring?" The very fact that the reader is left, after all of the trials of the main character, with the hope of a new day is only the first reason to read and enjoy this debut novel.