The Metcalfe Family Album — Sallyann J. Murphey

This magical collection of family memories, crafts and recipes, letters and mementos, tells the remarkable tale of six generations of women-and the ties that bind them. It is 1835 and Marianne Metcalfe, a daughter of the French nobility, has just wed Joshua, an American pioneer. Together they set off on their new life, headed for the wilds of Indiana. When they arrive, Marianne establishes not only a homestead, but a legacy even more priceless. Each year at Christmastime, she sits down to record in a beautiful journal her memories of the year, the cherished moments of a life. The tradition is embraced across the generations: first by Constance, who has lived through the Civil War; then Anna, born in Germany and whose life spans enormous social changes; Kathleen, with her Irish humor and verve; and Jessie, a war bride-until the album is passed down to the present day, when Jan, a modern mother of two, picks up her pen. In writing about her life, each woman also paints a fascinating portrait of her times. Yet however much things change, however different these women are, they are bound together by one thing: the love of home and family. With virtually every page adorned with nostalgic photographs, charming artwork, and other memorabilia, The Metcalfe Family Album is as engrossing to look at as it is to read. Drawing on a rich immigrant heritage, it is also an inspiration to keep our own family traditions alive. Here in this extraordinary book is history as it is lived by ordinary people -- moving, warm and wise, and full of the unexpected.