The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee her late grandmother's estate sale, she soon discovers that the woman left behind more than trinkets and photo frames--she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy's adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing.

Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he's ever loved.

In this dual-timeline story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth--both the search for it and the desire to keep it from others--takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go.

Revell Publishing September 2020

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover and audiobook:

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MY THOUGHTS.....

As I read this book, I was amazed that a debut novel could touch me so deeply. From the first paragraph, when I met Harvey James for the first time, until the closing lines, I was mesmerized by this story. The Edge of Belonging is told in dual-time, alternating between 1994 and the present, but these times blend together so that I felt like I was seeing a movie unfold. Harvey James, who felt like he had never belonged, grabbed my heart when he found a newborn baby abandoned in weeds along a busy highway and decided that this baby would be treasured as he himself had never been. Move to present day and the story focuses on counselor Ivy Rose and newly discovered secrets of her past that will forever alter her future.

Author Amanda Cox has created a cast of remarkable characters, including Harvey, Ivy, Pearl, Rose, and Reese and she tells their stories with memorable words that often made me cry.

"Those people in children's services, they try to do a good job. But it's not the same as being loved by a mom and dad. It's not love when you can be given back when it gets tough."

"Above all, Christ called her his and was gracious enough to give her people to remind her if she lost her way."

"I think...I still can't believe I get to watch this beautiful life of yours unfold."

Cox tackles some heavy topics, such as abandonment, abuse, addiction, and depression but she buffers them with love, hope, and the realization that a family unit can be created by more than blood ties. She also shows that there is mercy and grace through the power of God's love.

If you enjoy contemporary Christian fiction, you absolutely need to read this book. I predict that Amanda Cox and The Edge of Belonging will be mentioned quite often in the months ahead and I wish that I could give it more than 5 Stars!

I received a copy of this book from Revell. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Cox is a blogger and a curriculum developer for a national nonprofit youth leadership organization, but her first love is communicating through story. She holds a bachelor's degree in Bible and theology and a master's degree in professional counseling. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers.

Learn more at her Website     Facebook      Twitter      Instagram '

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Something Worth Doing by Jane Kirkpatrick

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1853, Abigail Scott was a 19-year-old school teacher in Oregon Territory when she married Ben Duniway. Marriage meant giving up on teaching, but Abigail always believed she was meant to be more than a good wife and mother. When financial mistakes and an injury force Ben to stop working, Abigail becomes the primary breadwinner for her growing family. What she sees as a working woman appalls her, and she devotes her life to fighting for the rights of women, including their right to vote.

Following Abigail as she bears six children, runs a millinery and a private school, helps on the farm, writes novels, gives speeches, and eventually runs a newspaper supporting women's suffrage, Something Worth Doing explores issues that will resonate strongly with modern women: the pull between career and family, finding one's place in the public sphere, and dealing with frustrations and prejudices women encounter when they compete in male-dominated spaces. Based on a true story of a pioneer for women's rights from award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick will inspire you to believe that some things are worth doing--even when the cost is great. 

MY THOUGHTS.....

I find it very fitting that this book was published during the 100th year anniversary of 

the ratification of the 19th Amendment and I applaud author Jane Kirkpatrick for reminding us just how difficult the passage of this amendment truly was. One of the women who worked so vehemently is someone I'd never heard of and I found Abigail Scott's life story to be a remarkable journey of determination, persistence, and finally, success. Her life wasn't easy and she endured many heartaches and backsets along the way, but in the end, Abigail Scott Duniway lived to register to vote in Multnomah County, Oregon and she also served on a jury!

This story begins in 1852, when seventeen-year-old Abigail hears her brother proclaim that "You can't control anything, you females. Not a thing. Lucky for you us men protect you." What follows is the chronicle of her efforts to prove that women were very capable, they could take care of themselves, they deserved respect, and they needed the chance to voice their opinions. Women needed the right to vote!

There are several pages of author's notes that relate many of Abigail's accomplishments and Kirkpatrick has been able to incorporate these facts into an engaging and entertaining fictional story based on biographical facts. Abigail experienced the hardships of traveling the Oregon Trail in the mid 1800s and she entered the work force while while raising her small children. As she pursued her passion to advance the rights of all women, Abigail even worked as a novelist and a newspaper publisher so that she could make sure that the word was being spread. Yes, Abigail Scott Dunlevy was a true pioneer and she paved the way for those of us who have followed!

Kirkpatrick has once again proven her exceptional ability to find unique topics and then create stories that we all want to read. I recommend Something Worth Doing to all who enjoy Christian historical fiction. I give it 4.5 Stars!

I received a copy of this book from Revell. There was no obligation for a positive review, I am voluntarily sharing my own thoughts. 

My rating: 4.5 stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jane Kirkpatrick is a New York Times Bestselling author whose works have appeared in more than 50 national publications including The Oregonian, Private Pilot and Daily Guideposts. With more than 1.5 million books in print, her 30 novels and non-fiction titles draw readers from all ages and genders. Most are historical novels based on the lives of actual historical women often about ordinary women who lived extraordinary lives. Her works have won numerous national awards including the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award.

Learn more about Jane Kirkpatrick 

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