Unclaimed Legacy
book 2
An old house + A new computer program =
The travel opportunity of a lifetime—to another century.
The People
Abby Thomas’ 11-year-old student Merri is finally warming up to her. Her friendship with John Roberts is also heating up. He’s definitely marriage material. Except for the fact that when she tells him about Beautiful Houses he thinks she’s crazy.
Because a … Houses he thinks she’s crazy.
Because a computer program that allows you to rewind and fast forward the lives of people from long ago is surely pure fantasy. Then John sees for himself that it’s not.
Together they use Beautiful Houses to help the “Old Dears” next door with their family tree. Rummaging around in their history, they discover that the 85-year-old twins have been keeping a secret from each other since 1941. And the ladies’ ancestors have a few secrets of their own.
Convicted in 1871 of murder and arson, Reuben Buchanan is a blight on the family name. But was he really guilty? Abby and John must get inside the mind of a murderer to find out.
But there are also heroes in the family tree—like Reuben’s ancestor Nathan Buchanan. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have a few secrets, too. And Abby and John find one that’s lain undiscovered for over 200 years.
The House
It began life as Nathan’s log cabin built outside the walls of Lewis and Clark’s 1803 Camp River Dubois. It was added onto through the years, and at one time it was a stage coach inn called Shake Rag Corner. Today it is a condemned derelict. While watching its history unfold, Abby and John discover a legacy waiting to be reclaimed and that God’s promise to bless a thousand generations is really true.
more
This was an absorbing story that I couldn’t put down. Abby Thomas’ 11-year-old student Merri is finally warming up to her. And her friendship with John Roberts is also heating up. He’s definitely marriage material. Except for the fact that when she tells him about Beautiful Houses he thinks she’s crazy.
Because a computer program that allows you to rewind and fast-forward the lives of people from long ago is surely pure fantasy. But then John sees for himself that it’s not.
Together they use Beautiful Houses to help the “Old Dears” next door with their family tree. Rummaging around in their history, they discover that the 85-year-old twins have been keeping a secret from each other since 1941. And the ladies’ ancestors have a few secrets of their own, too.
(2.5 / 5)
Abby’s summer tutoring job continues, but the computer program that allowed them to “time surf” the history of her pupil’s house has stopped working. When they house sit for a relative of a friend, though, the program invites them to view the history of a whole new area, this time alongside the handsome John Roberts. They get much more than they bargained for.
This second installment in the series is, to me, a step down from the first. While the story that they dig up in the lives of the past occupants of the house is more in-depth than what is shown in the first book, it’s also a lot darker. What bothers me more, though, is the story in the present time.
I’ll start with some good things before I get to what might seem like a rant. I really liked the little name game that John and Merri, Abby’s pupil, played throughout some of the story. I liked that the little boy with the deaf mother has people who care enough about him to help with his speech issues. And I did like the “Old Dears” as characters–maybe just a little over the top, but generally cute (the big secret between them notwithstanding). I also really liked Merri’s connection with the Old Dears. It was nice to see her come out of her shell more, even as her mom ignored her more than before and her dad acted like a typical fictional deadbeat dad (not quite so typical in the end, though).
However…if I wasn’t a fan of Abby (the main character, mind you) in the previous book, I just plain disliked her in this book. Her best friend, with whom she talks on the phone a few times throughout the book, refers to Merri, as “chubster,” as well as several other unflattering, harsh terms, which she uses because Abby had previously used them in referring to Merri. Abby chides her friend, but only because Merri is trying to do better now, not because Abby recognizes that those were just horrible things to say about the 11-year-old girl she’s tutoring, who already has huge issues! If Merri had heard any of those terms, would she have just accepted that they were okay to use in the past, before she was “trying”? No, she’d probably be devastated.
Then there’s the developing relationship between Abby and John. The problem is that he tends to take off when things get a little intimate. This leads Merri’s mom to speculate that maybe he’s gay, because goodness knows he couldn’t possibly have any other reason to not paw a girl he likes. But thank goodness he checked out her butt so that we can lay that question to rest. Seriously? And there’s a friend of John’s who’s basically a 90s tech geek, right down to the 90s lingo. It was really strange.
This book, like the previous, has absolutely nothing in the way of mid-chapter scene transitions, which can be really jarring when you’re reading and suddenly it’s another day, location, etc. Overall, though, it’s the characters and present-day plot that make me not so sure I want to read the final book in this series. Especially since the synopsis involves Abby’s best friend who almost seemed offended when Abby told her not to call Merri a chubster, and who otherwise is a bit pushy and annoying to me. If you’re really into history, you may still find this series to your liking if the things I mentioned above don’t bother you. Definitely start with the first book, though.
historical-fiction, historical-research, time-travel, family-dynamics, friendship
This is a lovely story involving a traveling computer program found only on the girls’ computer, problems of life in the twenty-first century, problems discovered in the eighteenth century, and more. This is second in series but the only thing about that is wanting to find out what happened in that book, not because of any disconnect. It’s a great story to soothe the day, and very easy to listen to. Michelle Babb always seems to know how to bring out the most in the stories and characters she narrates.
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed this book. I think it is the way the author cleverly weaves history in a modern day story that makes it so interesting. This is book two and although I think you could perhaps listen to it as a stand alone book I believe it has more meaning and relevance when you have read or listened to the first book. I liked the added mystery to this story which you didn’t get with the first book and even though the murder and arson was easy to solve it added an element to the story that I liked. Also the twins were a fun addition to the people in the know, especially the tricks one of the sisters kept playing helped with a lighter side to the story. I can’t wait to see what book three has in store.
While trying to help Michael, a little boy brought up by a single deaf mother, who has never been taught how to speak Abby, Merri and John get asked to house sit for the speech therapist, who is also John’s cousin in exchange for her help. With there time traveling computer broken the girls fear they will never get to use the program Beautiful home again, that is until John brings them another computer to use, backed up from there old one with all there old programs. This starts another adventure in time, as the three of them watch and early more about the twin ladies that live next. Watching Charlotte in her world is over and they get a chance to clear a man accused or starting a fire that killed a women, the grandfather of there next door neighbours. Is it finally time to right a wrong and are the elderly sister ready to learn about here past? Only time will tell.
Michelle Babb is a really good choice as a narrator for this series because she put time and energy into her character’s which bring them to life along with the story.
Book 2 in this fun series. Abby and Merri are on another adventure. John and Abby are till finding out what their relationship is friends? Or more. I read in on review that this series is not really a Christian novel. Well for me and I am a Christian, I like not being hit over the head or slammed into a wall with theology. This has just enough for you to know what the characters believe. You get to see how a Christian should relate toward others. On to book 3.
Abby Thomas and her 11-year-old tutee, Merri, have warmed up to the charming and nice looking John Roberts. For Abby, John’s only major flaw is he thinks she’s crazy. John does not believe that Abby and Merri can time surf with the Beautiful House program on their computer. John’s friend tries repairing the program but it doesn’t seem to have worked but while he was there he put the program on John’s laptop. While Abby and Merri are house-sitting for a relative of John’s they find out the program only quit working in their house. Much to John’s surprise he too gets sucked into learning the truth about the history of the owners of a particular house.
Wow! I really enjoyed the first book but this one was even better. Abby, Merri, and John’s characters are so realistic and have grown a lot just with one book. The 2 new characters the “Old Dears” are also really fun and interesting characters. I really loved learning about their ancestors right along with them. This is a very interesting storyline that is perfect for a young adult who enjoys historical mysteries.
Narrator Michelle Babb once again did a fabulous job of bringing Abby, Merri, John and the others to life. I could close my eyes and see the story come to life. Mrs. Babb is a delight to listen to and is one of my favorite narrators.
I voluntarily agreed to listen to this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.