A Promise to the Past: A Genealogical Mystery [Paperback]

James Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2000

Facing the approach of middle age, David Baker finds himself bored, uninspired and just going through the motions. Then another failed romance and a family tragedy cause him to return from Boston to his home in Iowa where he discovers a family tradition of a "stolen fortune". This discovery motivates him to begin a search for the story behind the family tradition and for his own roots. With the help of a friend, he works his way back into the past and discovers a link to an event that changed his family forever. This leads him farther back into time and along the way he meets Abigail Palmer, a young woman with similar interests. Together they work to solve the 200-year old mystery and discover a modern day secret linked to events from long ago. Then, a mysterious woman who seems to know some of the answers they seek helps them find the truth. But, the truth leads David and Abby into new danger and a final confrontation with a legacy of the past. Can they finally solve the mystery, or will they be consumed by the same treachery of the past?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James G. Brown has worked in the investment business for over thirty years and this is his first book. He is an amateur genealogist and historian and is member of a number of hereditary, genealogical and historical societies. He has written several genealogical articles on his family. He resides in Maine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (December 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595127983
• ISBN-13: 978-0595127986
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,498,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A really good read, March 26, 2001

By 

Christopher Chatain (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Promise to the Past: A Genealogical Mystery (Paperback)

This book is one of my better finds on the internet. A friend recommended to me via email, and here it is. A good pleasurable time is to be had in the reading this first novel. As an avid reader of historical fiction, I often daydream myself back into the historical settings. "Promise to the Past" did that one step better, by jumping a common story back and forth to those times just as I might in my reflections.

It is written in an entertaining style, with careful unwinding of a chain of events that draws both on history and on today, linked together by the science & art of genealogy. Who is going to love this book? People like me who work in a cubicle all day with a couple dozen history sites on my PC's "favorites" list for the Internet, people who devour Patrick O'Brian's books and wonder what their ancestors might have been doing then; people who like to see a truly craftsman-like treatment of all the little details that make up history and provide the links to our forebears.

I've already given a copies to a couple friends who enjoyed it as much as the best of whatever else is on their "to-read" shelf. I'm sure you'll like it too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing journey!, March 15, 2001

By 

Sheila (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Promise to the Past: A Genealogical Mystery (Paperback)

A truly great book that I highly recommend, especially to any New Englander.

Mr. Brown is a brillant story teller, he has a unique way of portraying one family's historical journey. An intricately woven tale with many twists and turns in the plot left me unable to put the book down.

A really entertaining and worthwhile read.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment, January 31, 2002

By 

WKA (Bolton, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Promise to the Past: A Genealogical Mystery (Paperback)

I was dismayed and disappointed with the author's use of expletives and low-level language expressed by the main characters of the book. The plot, the story line, the accurate use of genealogical research plans and actions were superb. I would like to share this book with my daughters and grand children but, instead, it ended up in the waste basket. I was appalled with the poor quality of the given text--any spellcheck and grammer program would have caught many of the errors. This is not acceptable in grade school! The author's note revealed a higher level of aspiration to inspire curiosity about family history and heritage in his readers, than was displayed in the story as exhibited by the language used throughout the book. I was uncomfortable reading the book, but kept on for genealogical research interest.