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American Homespun #2.5
Remembering Anna
The key opens a box, unlocks the past and defines the future. In 1775, Anna Stickney received a precious gift for her fourteenth birthday, a handmade journal. A place to keep her secrets and write her wishes. As the country sought independence, Anna fought battles of her own, fell in love, and faced heart break all of which she recorded in tiny script. Someday she thought she would share the contents with her daughter. But Anna waited for another tomorrow to come... After her mother died, Lucy Wilson found a locked box. Unable to locate the key in the Massachusetts home Lucy shared with her husband and little sister, the box sat keeping its secrets safely locked inside. Hours before Lucy's life changes forever, she locates the missing key. No longer free to explore the box all at once, Lucy savors the contents in the few quiet moments she can snatch. Anna's words burden, sooth, and free Lucy as she comes to know the woman she called Mama.
- GenresHistorical
112 pages, Paperback
Published August 7, 2017
About the author
Lorin Grace
37 books153 followersLorin Grace was born in Colorado and has been moving around the country ever since, living in eight states and several imaginary worlds. She holds a degree in graphic design which comes in handy with creating book covers. Currently, she lives with her husband, and a dog who is insanely jealous of her laptop.
When not writing, Lorin enjoys creating graphics, visiting historical sites, museums, painting furniture, and reading. Three of her books, her debut novel, Waking Lucy (2017), Mending Fences (2018), and Not the Bodyguard’s Baby (2020) have won Recommend Read awards in the League of Utah Writers Published book contest.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 10, 2018
4.5*
What a sweet story about discovery. Lucy lost her mother a year ago and has recently found the key to her locked box of treasures. As Lucy opens the box and starts discovering what each item is and reads the journal entries and letters, she comes to understand more about her mother and the sorrows of their shared past.
If you haven't read book one, Waking Lucy, the author did a great job writing this book that anyone reading it could enjoy it. Whether you've read the previous book or not, you won't be guessing at, or wondering what came before for these characters. Personally though, I enjoyed having read this book after book one. Book one showed Lucy right when she looses most of her family to sickness and she herself falls ill. Samuel comes to her rescue and nurses her back to health. This book begins a year after that sickness and their marriage.
I loved Lucy and the healing that came through discovering the writings of her mother. The reasons behind certain heartaches and certain actions were revealed. Lucy and her mother, Anna's, lives were difficult and this was a sweet story showing healing and peace. My favorite aspect of it was Lucy and Samuel. The tender moments between them as a somewhat newly married couple starting their family and reading this history. Samuel was so tender and gentle with Lucy. I feel like I keep saying it and want to say it over and over again, this was a sweet story. There is sorrow and heartache as emotions or sorrow is relived but the peace and understanding that came for Lucy and the greater connection it brought to her about her mother was sweet. (Sorry, it really is the perfect description in my mind).
I found myself thinking back about my relationship with my mom (and dad as well, but since this is a mother/daughter story mom is the focus). I loved growing up hearing her talk about her youth and life. Knowing who she was long before I came along. While reading this I kept thinking about the blessing that she is still alive and I'm able to call her and share anything and everything with her (and my dad).
The love letters that Lucy reads between her mom and Mr. Marden made me think back to my grandparents. My grandfather served in Europe during WWII. When he first joined the army, he and my grandma weren't married. They had dated for a while and she was still finishing high school. Well, he came back to visit during one of his leaves while he was still in training and they eloped. Funny story, but I'm not going to share it today. My grandfather returned to training and my grandma was left waiting for him. Eventually she moved and joined him where he was stationed. They travelled a little bit for wherever his troop would be re-stationed until he was sent overseas for a couple years. I never knew my grandfather, as he passed away a little bit before I was born, but I felt like I came to know him through the letters he sent while overseas that my grandma had kept. I only read them once, many years ago when my oldest was a baby. My grandma felt they were too personal to share if we weren't married. There wasn't anything descriptive, just a sweet love sent through letters. While reading Anna's letters, I couldn't help but think of these letters of my grandparents and a desire to reread them. Luckily my family still has them and we have them preserved as a memory of the love between my grandparents. My grandma was a widow for almost 40 years and she was still very much in love with my grandpa until her last breath, knowing he was waiting for her when she passed away.
I'll stop with my memories and say that if you enjoy stories during the Revolutionary War/Colonial time then I highly recommend this series. I've read three of the books so far and have enjoyed them all. Be warned though in reading this one, you might be like me and have many memories of your own families and emotions associated with them will surface. That could very well be part of the reason why I felt this was such a sweet story.
Content: Clean. This story is about a young married couple so marital relations are implied but done very tastefully and nothing graphic. Some past talk about a character who was abusive and a brief mention of a character who was raped but nothing graphic.
I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading!!!
What a sweet story about discovery. Lucy lost her mother a year ago and has recently found the key to her locked box of treasures. As Lucy opens the box and starts discovering what each item is and reads the journal entries and letters, she comes to understand more about her mother and the sorrows of their shared past.
If you haven't read book one, Waking Lucy, the author did a great job writing this book that anyone reading it could enjoy it. Whether you've read the previous book or not, you won't be guessing at, or wondering what came before for these characters. Personally though, I enjoyed having read this book after book one. Book one showed Lucy right when she looses most of her family to sickness and she herself falls ill. Samuel comes to her rescue and nurses her back to health. This book begins a year after that sickness and their marriage.
I loved Lucy and the healing that came through discovering the writings of her mother. The reasons behind certain heartaches and certain actions were revealed. Lucy and her mother, Anna's, lives were difficult and this was a sweet story showing healing and peace. My favorite aspect of it was Lucy and Samuel. The tender moments between them as a somewhat newly married couple starting their family and reading this history. Samuel was so tender and gentle with Lucy. I feel like I keep saying it and want to say it over and over again, this was a sweet story. There is sorrow and heartache as emotions or sorrow is relived but the peace and understanding that came for Lucy and the greater connection it brought to her about her mother was sweet. (Sorry, it really is the perfect description in my mind).
I found myself thinking back about my relationship with my mom (and dad as well, but since this is a mother/daughter story mom is the focus). I loved growing up hearing her talk about her youth and life. Knowing who she was long before I came along. While reading this I kept thinking about the blessing that she is still alive and I'm able to call her and share anything and everything with her (and my dad).
The love letters that Lucy reads between her mom and Mr. Marden made me think back to my grandparents. My grandfather served in Europe during WWII. When he first joined the army, he and my grandma weren't married. They had dated for a while and she was still finishing high school. Well, he came back to visit during one of his leaves while he was still in training and they eloped. Funny story, but I'm not going to share it today. My grandfather returned to training and my grandma was left waiting for him. Eventually she moved and joined him where he was stationed. They travelled a little bit for wherever his troop would be re-stationed until he was sent overseas for a couple years. I never knew my grandfather, as he passed away a little bit before I was born, but I felt like I came to know him through the letters he sent while overseas that my grandma had kept. I only read them once, many years ago when my oldest was a baby. My grandma felt they were too personal to share if we weren't married. There wasn't anything descriptive, just a sweet love sent through letters. While reading Anna's letters, I couldn't help but think of these letters of my grandparents and a desire to reread them. Luckily my family still has them and we have them preserved as a memory of the love between my grandparents. My grandma was a widow for almost 40 years and she was still very much in love with my grandpa until her last breath, knowing he was waiting for her when she passed away.
I'll stop with my memories and say that if you enjoy stories during the Revolutionary War/Colonial time then I highly recommend this series. I've read three of the books so far and have enjoyed them all. Be warned though in reading this one, you might be like me and have many memories of your own families and emotions associated with them will surface. That could very well be part of the reason why I felt this was such a sweet story.
Content: Clean. This story is about a young married couple so marital relations are implied but done very tastefully and nothing graphic. Some past talk about a character who was abusive and a brief mention of a character who was raped but nothing graphic.
I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading!!!
August 24, 2017
I really liked catching up with Lucy and Samuel, and finding out more about what was inside the mysterious box.
The dual storyline about Anna was able to answer a lot of previous questions.
The dual storyline about Anna was able to answer a lot of previous questions.
February 1, 2018
Remembering Anna is my first introduction to Lorin Grace. I loved it! Cannot wait to read her full length stories. This one was fabulous! 5 plus stars!
February 19, 2018
Remembering Anna is a wonderful caring story of a woman who finds out what her mother actually went through in life and how to appreciate all of the events in their lives both good and bad. I agree with Anna in that without the bad and the good we have done or gone through we could not appreciate the good we have in our lives or know when something is bad. This is why whenever someone asks me if I have any regrets I say no because I would not have my wonderful family and friends if I had done things differently.
In this story, Lucy finds out what her mom, Anna, wanted her to know before that fateful night that she passed away. Lucy never knew all the things her mother did for her to protect her from even more bad in her life. I love that they were writing in short journal entries and Lucy was slowly able to go through them while also dealing with life herself. It gave her time to truly appreciate all her mom had to say and all that had happened in both of their lives.
I am thankful she did not just sit down and read a bunch at on or that Anna had not written really long entries everyday. These short periodic entries were extremely powerful and meaningful to Lucy, Samuel, and the reader.
As I read through the story and the entries it made me reflect on my own life as well as my mother's life. I will never know everything my mom went through in life as she has only told me bits and pieces and she never kept a diary but I hope that I always remember that she was a great daughter, wife, sister, mother, grandmother, great grandma, and most of all friend because of who her life shaped her into.
Thank you so much for this wonderful tale that every child and mother should read.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
In this story, Lucy finds out what her mom, Anna, wanted her to know before that fateful night that she passed away. Lucy never knew all the things her mother did for her to protect her from even more bad in her life. I love that they were writing in short journal entries and Lucy was slowly able to go through them while also dealing with life herself. It gave her time to truly appreciate all her mom had to say and all that had happened in both of their lives.
I am thankful she did not just sit down and read a bunch at on or that Anna had not written really long entries everyday. These short periodic entries were extremely powerful and meaningful to Lucy, Samuel, and the reader.
As I read through the story and the entries it made me reflect on my own life as well as my mother's life. I will never know everything my mom went through in life as she has only told me bits and pieces and she never kept a diary but I hope that I always remember that she was a great daughter, wife, sister, mother, grandmother, great grandma, and most of all friend because of who her life shaped her into.
Thank you so much for this wonderful tale that every child and mother should read.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2018
A short but very sweet story!
I really enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed it!
December 3, 2018
I wish that I had read the first three books in the series first before I read Remembering Anna. It's not that you cannot read this book as a standalone book, but I do believe reading the first three books would've given me a richer backstory and a deeper understanding of the yearning that Lucy must've felt when she looked at that unopened box.
You are given a brief explanation of who the box belongs to and what it could possibly contain so you are not left in the dark, but I now want to read the first two books in the series to see what leads up to the point that this books begins.
Seeing into her mother's past, my heart went out to Lucy and her little sister. You hurt for all the pain that Anna endured, rejoice at the happiness she eventually possessed, and celebrate when you realize that the dream that Anna always had for her daughter came true, though she didn't live to see it.
The characters are wonderfully developed, with your minds eye being right there with them in their journey. Lorin Grace has a captivating way of putting you right there in the story, her writing style excellent, the flow beautiful.
Remembering Anna is a beautifully written and wonderful story, one that captivates you and draws you into the American Homespun series.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
You are given a brief explanation of who the box belongs to and what it could possibly contain so you are not left in the dark, but I now want to read the first two books in the series to see what leads up to the point that this books begins.
Seeing into her mother's past, my heart went out to Lucy and her little sister. You hurt for all the pain that Anna endured, rejoice at the happiness she eventually possessed, and celebrate when you realize that the dream that Anna always had for her daughter came true, though she didn't live to see it.
The characters are wonderfully developed, with your minds eye being right there with them in their journey. Lorin Grace has a captivating way of putting you right there in the story, her writing style excellent, the flow beautiful.
Remembering Anna is a beautifully written and wonderful story, one that captivates you and draws you into the American Homespun series.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
March 27, 2018
I love this cover. This is a very short book and stands on its own but it would probably be better to read Waking Lucy first. (I didn't).
Lucy gets the chance to read a hidden diary from her mother and in so doing learns who her mother really was and begins to understand the sacrifices her mother made for her. Anna had a difficult life (Lucy is the product of rape and then Anna marries into an abusive situation) and Lucy knows that but she doesn't have the whole picture. I believe that none of us have the whole picture of our parents so it would be interesting to have the chance to see more clearly. By reading the diary, Lucy begins to see how much her mother loved her and protected her even when it didn't feel like she was. Lucy gains a greater appreciation for her mother and I think also for her husband.
There is nothing graphic in the book but it tells us that Anne and her sister were raped and left for dead and it tells us there was verbal, emotional and physical abuse from her husband. It is all told in brief statements in the diary. There is also a little innuendo between Lucy and her husband.
Lucy gets the chance to read a hidden diary from her mother and in so doing learns who her mother really was and begins to understand the sacrifices her mother made for her. Anna had a difficult life (Lucy is the product of rape and then Anna marries into an abusive situation) and Lucy knows that but she doesn't have the whole picture. I believe that none of us have the whole picture of our parents so it would be interesting to have the chance to see more clearly. By reading the diary, Lucy begins to see how much her mother loved her and protected her even when it didn't feel like she was. Lucy gains a greater appreciation for her mother and I think also for her husband.
There is nothing graphic in the book but it tells us that Anne and her sister were raped and left for dead and it tells us there was verbal, emotional and physical abuse from her husband. It is all told in brief statements in the diary. There is also a little innuendo between Lucy and her husband.
December 28, 2017
I read this book first but recommend you read Waking Lucy first. I loved this book but be prepared to possibly cry. Anna lived through so much pain and heartbreak. So thankful the author gave her some really happy years too. Lucy finds her mother's diary and learns more about her mother and things she never knew. The book is also about Lucy, Samuel, their new baby, and Sarah (Lucy's sister). The writer was so good that I found I was reading every word, I tend to skim if too much or not very good description. Loved the the setting and time period. Makes we so thankful I live now and not then. I so enjoyed this book that I downloaded Waking Lucy as soon as I was finished with this book. Highly recommend.
October 25, 2019
I received this as a complimentary copy but I felt compelled to leave a voluntary review. This book was incredible.
This book was full of so much emotion, so have the tissues handy, you are going to need them. To read of what this poor woman went through for the love of her daughter is just heartbreaking. I’m so glad she got to enjoy the love a of a good man and to bear him the children they had always dreamed off.
This was also a form of understanding and closure for Lucy, who also had to live an extremely hard childhood and didn’t understand the reason why she was treated the way she was. She also had the emotional scars to heal as well and Samuel also played a huge roll in this.
Just such a powerful book to read
This book was full of so much emotion, so have the tissues handy, you are going to need them. To read of what this poor woman went through for the love of her daughter is just heartbreaking. I’m so glad she got to enjoy the love a of a good man and to bear him the children they had always dreamed off.
This was also a form of understanding and closure for Lucy, who also had to live an extremely hard childhood and didn’t understand the reason why she was treated the way she was. She also had the emotional scars to heal as well and Samuel also played a huge roll in this.
Just such a powerful book to read
April 15, 2018
This is a beautiful and touching story that will take you on an emotional journey. A mother's love is like no other. Lucy learns the extent of her mother's sacrifices and love in this book. Ms. Lorin reminds us that every day is precious and nothing should be taken for granted.
I agree with other readers that while you can read this book as a standalone, I would encourage you to read Waking Lucy as you will better understand the importance of finding the key.
I received a copy of this book. The choice to read and review it was all mine.
I agree with other readers that while you can read this book as a standalone, I would encourage you to read Waking Lucy as you will better understand the importance of finding the key.
I received a copy of this book. The choice to read and review it was all mine.
October 21, 2017
I always like stories with diaries/journals in them. This was no exception. The theme of "All things work together for good" (although not stated; I would have liked if there was more talk of the Lord.) was really good. For a shorter book like this, I really enjoyed the character development and unfolding of the plot.
February 22, 2019
The key is found minutes before giving birth to Mayanna. Now with a few minutes here and there she reads the words her mother had written down . Her mother thinking there would be time to share them with her daughter. What a precious legacy to have, then to share later with her sister and daughter. Beautiful story of a family’s love.
March 20, 2018
I loved this story. It was sweet and beautiful - even while dealing with some bad things. This is the first book I've read by this author, but I now what to read the others and will have to get them. This left me feeling a great appreciation for the WHAT IS in my life as opposed to What Ifs.
April 14, 2018
I loved it. Lucy reads her mother's journal and finds out the circumstances of her birth and her mother's struggles. Things look different when you look at them from both sides. Great lesson for us all.
June 13, 2018
I could not help but love this book Anna Stickney receives a handmade journal on her 14th birthday. She longs to share her writings with her children one day. Her daughter Lucy finds it after her death. Wonderful poignant story.
August 8, 2018
This was a nice novella. It helped answer some questions from Waking Lucy, but I don't know if I would have enjoyed it if I hadn't read Waking Lucy first. I enjoyed the book, but it was more just fun to get to know Lucy and her mother better.
January 12, 2019
Historical novella with lots of ups and downs. Touches on some tough subjects, but handles them gracefully.
May 11, 2018
Lucy's mom
Another good story. Lucy finds out stuff about her mom and the things she endured. I recommend this book. Enjoy.
Another good story. Lucy finds out stuff about her mom and the things she endured. I recommend this book. Enjoy.
March 17, 2021
A Walk in History
Remembering Anna is the story of Lucy discovering who her mother was. The diary entries in this book were written by Anna during the America Revolutionary War. Lucy discovered the diary years later and learned of the challenges Anna had faced.
This book opened for me a view of the challenges faced by people, and particularly by women, in that period of time. Read this book to learn about the time period, but also to appreciate how much easier things are today.
Remembering Anna is the story of Lucy discovering who her mother was. The diary entries in this book were written by Anna during the America Revolutionary War. Lucy discovered the diary years later and learned of the challenges Anna had faced.
This book opened for me a view of the challenges faced by people, and particularly by women, in that period of time. Read this book to learn about the time period, but also to appreciate how much easier things are today.
November 16, 2021
Beautiful!
Remembering Anna is a beautiful prequel/sequel in the American Homespun series. I enjoyed Lucy and Samuel so much in Waking Lucy-it’s fun to see their romance continue in their first year of marriage. Anna’s journal is heartbreaking, touching, and beautiful, showing a godly woman going through terrible trials, but still managing to leave a legacy of faith, courage, and love.
Remembering Anna is a beautiful prequel/sequel in the American Homespun series. I enjoyed Lucy and Samuel so much in Waking Lucy-it’s fun to see their romance continue in their first year of marriage. Anna’s journal is heartbreaking, touching, and beautiful, showing a godly woman going through terrible trials, but still managing to leave a legacy of faith, courage, and love.
June 2, 2021
I really like how this book is written intertwined with Lucy's life. It shows how what happened in the past affects Lucy's life now and how her mother's love brings her strength even though her mom isn't alive. Coming to know more about her mother's story helps her move forward with hers.
May 24, 2023
Really good!
I truly enjoyed read more on Samuel and Lucy. There were some tough stuff from the journal, but such great nuggets of wisdom too. Wonderful story. Looking forward to more! ❤️📖📖❤️
I truly enjoyed read more on Samuel and Lucy. There were some tough stuff from the journal, but such great nuggets of wisdom too. Wonderful story. Looking forward to more! ❤️📖📖❤️
January 3, 2018
Loved the book
January 9, 2023
A follow on from Waking Lucy.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews