The Memory Tree (Carson Chronicles, #2) by John A. Heldt

Days after barely escaping 1889 with their lives, the Carsons, siblings from the present day, resume their search for their missing parents in 1918. While Adam and his pregnant wife, Bridget, settle in Minnesota, unaware of a wildfire that will kill hundreds, Greg seeks clues in his great-grandparents' Mexico, where he finds love, danger, and enemies. At the same time, Natalie, the ambitious journalist, follows a trail to World War I France, and teen twins Cody and Caitlin rekindle a friendship with an old Pennsylvania friend haunted by her past. In THE MEMORY TREE, the sweeping sequel to RIVER RISING, several time travelers find answers and meaning as they continue the adventure of a lifetime in the age of doughboys, silent movies, and Model T's.

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I've been reading John Heldt's books for a long time. I keep coming back to them because I love the way he incorporates historical events, big and small into his books. It's time travel through history and I love that. He does such a good job of researching events and bringing them to life for me. There is a feeling of continuity throughout all his books as far as the time travel aspect goes. I like that too.

This is the second book in this Carson Chronicles series so it picked up right where the last book left off. In this book, the Carson children are still on the hunt for their parents. They decide to split up so each sibling takes a different journey in different parts of the country, hoping that someone will be where there parents are. Each chapter comes from a different point of view as we follow the siblings and parents on their adventures. Normally I like this but this time, because there were so many of them, the book got REALLY long (over 650 pages!!). Forward progression was slow and I felt like it was taking forever to get anywhere. I struggled a bit. I think I would have preferred following maybe one or two siblings per book.

I wasn't a fan of some of Greg's decisions, well, one in particular. He pulled a real jerk move and it sort of tainted my view of him.

While this wasn't my favorite book, I still appreciate all the things I mentioned above. I have come to know this Carson family quite well and I'm looking forward to what may be coming next because this book leaves off in place where so many things could go right or wrong!

Content: swearing, sexual relations behind closed doors with no details but you know it happens, some war violence mentioned with no details, death, peril.

I picked this book up on Kindle Unlimited