A Patchwork Family
Charlotte Hubbard
Leisure, Jul 2005, $6.99, 374 pp.
ISBN: 0843955511

In 1866 Kansas, Meredith "Mercy" Monroe and her spouse Jake own one of the Holloday Stagecoach line rest stops. The couple works hard to insure the travelers receive the best possible attention whether it is her renowned cooking or his handling of horses and the coaches. Though the work is hard, both Monroes feel they live a good fulfilled life much more than the affluence they left behind in Philadelphia. Perhaps their only regret is a lack of offspring.

That changes when driver Michael Malloy brings two abandoned children to the ranch stop. He asks the Monroes to take the kids in as he knows they have with their help Nathanial and Asa. Though they have doubts, the pair follows the Lord's way and they make a home for Billy and Christine Bristol. Though facing many hardships and tragedy, Mercy through her inner strength and her faith remains the center of her extended family.

A PATCHWORK FAMILY is an inspirational Reconstruction Era novel. The storyline enables the audience to obtain a deep look at life on the Great Plains in the late 1860s through a strong fully developed ensemble with Mercy as the hub. Mindful of Little House on the Prairie, Charlotte Hubbard writes a delightfully deep and rich mid nineteenth century inspirational Americana tale.

Harriet Klausner