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February, 1902 - Pecos, New Mexico and the Present
Claudia Bass has spent her entire life keeping her mothers memory alive. She has discovered the people which are doing some renovations to the place her mother lived in Pecos, New Mexico, want to dig up a couple of dogs, which are buried on “dog hill”. She needs to stop them, she demands her granddaughter, Meg Mabry get her there. Meg has no intention of going to Pecos with her grandmother; she never has had any interest in the family lore.
Claudia is a woman obsessed with keeping her mothers amazing history alive at any costs. She has a bad habit of making people not like her much. Even her own daughter does not want much to do with her. She more or less raised Meg by herself. Meg has never read the journals, even the published ones. Claudia senses something not quite right with the bones buried on Dog Hill, but she keeps those doubts to herself.
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Meg Mabry has her own life and career to take care of. She does not have time to go with her grandmother to Pecos, just so some people will not dig up some old dog bones. But if she does not tag along, Claudia could get into a heap of problems. Once they arrive, Meg has a change of heart; she buys the printed journals of her great grandmother, Hannah Bass. The reader is transported back to 1890 during the time Hannah was a Harvey Girl at the Montezuma Resort in New Mexico and also later in Hannah’s life when she was married Eliott Bass,
who was a railroad engineer, which meant he was gone during long periods of time. Claudia is hoping time with the journals and herself will change Meg’s feelings about her family history. Claudia is hoping she will finally be able to come to terms with the truth about her mother.
Claudia is a wonderful character. She could be annoying at times, but she stood by her convictions no matter what. Meg is a complicated person, she always felt oppressed about her family legacy. As she reads the journals, there is new understanding for Claudia, and herself.
Elizabeth Crook penned a most outstanding novel in "The Night Journal". It has mystery, family secrets, romance, and intrigue. I highly recommend it.
Reviewed by Patsy Glans
for The Road to Romance
May 31, 2006
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