Map of the Heart

August 28, 2017
Wiggs (Family Tree) bridges eras of history and the depths of the human heart in this emotional story of a family shaped by tragedies both near and distant. Widow Camille Adams lives quietly and—most importantly to her—safely with her teen daughter, Julia, in their small American coastal hometown of Bethany Bay. But chronic bullying sends the sensitive, intelligent teen spiraling into depression and rebellion. Papi, Camille’s father, unexpectedly intervenes and takes them all back to his hometown in France, where they visit long-neglected family and uncover 70-year-old mysteries regarding his parents. Papi’s quest for answers about his own childhood, rooted in the French Resistance forces during WWII, proves key to Camille’s pursuit of wholeness. And Camille’s burgeoning relationship with sexy professor Malcolm “Finn” Finnemore, who has hired her to help with a separate war history project, forces Camille to face her fears and contemplate the idea of truly living again. In this tribute to heroes long gone, Wiggs effectively unveils the humanity hidden within history books, showing that love can span generations and bring hope to those left behind. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

August 1, 2017

Camille Adams has always felt that her hometown of Bethany Bay was a safe haven, but it's recently become stifling. She is still mourning the death of her husband, Jace, five years earlier; her father, Henry, just recently recovered from cancer; and her daughter, Julie, is being bullied in school. Then a man named Finn steps into Camille's life with the hopes that she can recover photos on a 40-year-old roll of film that might explain Finn's father's final mission in Cambodia. Other mysteries are popping up at the same time. Henry receives a trunk of old items from the family home in the South of France. Henry's mother died in labor, and his father was a collaborator with the Germans during World War II, yet there are items in the trunk that draw Camille, Julie, and Henry (and Finn!) back to the ancestral home in France to uncover lost family secrets. VERDICT Wiggs's books ("The Lakeshore Chronicles") are auto-buys for public libraries, and this title won't be any different. The characters are warm and human, with the mysteries adding just enough spice. [See Prepub Alert, 3/27/17.]--Jennifer Mills, Shorewood-Troy Lib., IL

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2017
Photographer Camille Adams used to be something of a daredevil. But after her husband's tragic death, she traded in the luxury of adrenaline thrills for the practicality of a safe and secure life for herself and her teenage daughter, Julie. When her father, Henry Palmer, unexpectedly receives a trunk filled with items from his family's past in France, however, Camille surprises herself by agreeing to accompany him and Julie on a summer trip to the small town in Provence, where her father grew up. Once there, Camille finds herself turning to history professor Malcolm Finn Finnemore for help putting together the pieces of her father's family history during WWII, never expecting that Finn will also turn out to play an important part in her future. With her usual easy sense of grace and down-to-earth literary charm, Wiggs (Family Tree, 2016) handles characters, setting, and plot with perfect aplomb while creating an unforgettable story about love, loss, family, and friendship that will resonate with readers long after they have turned the last page of this exquisitely crafted story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)