My Heart Remembers Books in Order

The My Heart Remembers series traces the long shadow of one tragic night and the stubborn hope of three Irish‑immigrant siblings determined to be reunited. Set against the backdrop of America’s orphan‑train movement and the years leading up to World War I, the books explore identity, belonging, and the families we make as well as those we are born into.

In the first novel, My Heart Remembers, a tenement fire in New York City leaves Maelle, Mattie, and Molly O’Connor orphaned. Packed onto an orphan train heading west, the three children cling to each other and to the few treasures their parents left behind, a family Bible, a photograph, and a bundle of love letters. Maelle, the eldest, begs the placing agents to keep them together, but at a Missouri stop the younger two are claimed by separate families and Maelle is left alone.

She vows that someday she will track down her brother and sister. Seventeen years later, that promise has become both a driving purpose and a source of exhaustion. Maelle has grown into an itinerant photographer, moving from town to town with a camera and a worn‑out hope. The story follows her as she slowly uncovers where life has taken Mattie and Molly, discovering along the way that reunion will require more than simply finding the right addresses. Each sibling must wrestle with the person they have become and the hurts they have carried.

The companion novel, In Every Heartbeat, picks up with three friends who grew up together in the same orphanage. Libby, Pete, and Bennett head to college in Missouri, each dreaming of a different future. Libby wants to become a journalist, Pete plans to study for the ministry, and Bennett is chasing fun and status. As international tensions rise on the eve of World War I, differences in temperament, calling, and conviction begin to strain their easy camaraderie.

Their stories intersect with threads from My Heart Remembers, tying questions about spiritual heritage and family history into the choices they face on campus. A surprising discovery about Pete’s background in particular forces all three to reconsider what truly defines a person.

Together the two books offer a tender, sometimes bittersweet look at the orphan‑train era and the resilience of children who grew up with little more than one another. Readers can expect rich historical detail, heartfelt friendships, and a clear reminder that while human families can fracture, God’s family can welcome anyone willing to be adopted.