Finding Amelia

Book excerpt: An intriguing tale of faith, love, and death, that spans the generations. When fourteen year old, Amelia Morelli, loses her beloved father in the 9/11 terrorist attack, her near perfect world comes to a stand still. In an attempt to rescue the melancholic Amelia, her Granny Lou, orchestrates a search for the girl's ancestral namesake. The family sleuths travel from their Connecticut home, to the tidewater area of Virginia. With dogged determination, they eventually uncover the truth behind the strange disappearance of the family 19th century matriarch, from her privileged, plantation home. Parallels are drawn between Amelia and her namesake, and lessons from the past speak to the young girl. With the continued support of her Christian family, Amelia begins to heal. In the wake of the family quest, both heroine and reader, are left to ponder the impact our ancestors might have upon the living. In a strange twist, this story suggests that our forebearers never leave us at all, for better or worse, we leave them.