Seeking Signs by Staci Angelina Mercado

   This was especially relevant to me because the whole story happened in communities in which I’d grown up. I can place exactly the street locations and where her home was in a nearby town.  Based on an actual event and written mostly from the viewpoint of a younger sister, Elsie, the plot centers around a town girl, Minnie, who has married a farmer in the early 1900‘s. Minne is learning to make the transition to being a farm wife.  Sadly, she is found hanging in a barn and little sister, Elsie, does not believe it was suicide as investigators decided. So she determinedly sets out to find answers and seek the signs to solve the mystery. Events, especially at the beginning, puzzled me because they seemed out of order.  Dated in April, two natives come through the area, leaving them a possible trouble later. Next was a telling about Minnie losing a baby. Then a few pages telling William had taught her to drive.  Next was the story of her driving, having an accident, and blood running down her leg indicating she was losing a baby. Dated a month later, May, she found ads in a magazine about women driving.  She left the ads for William to see to plant an idea in his head about women being able to drive, indicating he hadn’t already taught her to drive before the earlier story about her accident.  As the story continued it seemed easier to follow. There are many characters who could have been blamed.  But Winnie had problems, losing babies and a child, superstitions that made behaviors seem erratic, being alone out on the farm when she was used to a large family around her.  A good read.  8 out of 10.