All Manner of Things

by Susie Finkbeiner
Review & GIVEAWAY!

Description

When Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know. 

In Mike's absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike's safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.

Author Susie Finkbeiner invites you into the Jacobson family's home and hearts during a time in which the chaos of the outside world touched their small community in ways they never imagined.

Biography

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home. She serves on the Breathe Christian Writers Conference planning committee, volunteers her time at Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and speaks at retreats and women's events across the state. Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.

My Perspective ~

This novel brought me back to my 18th year in 1967. Annie could have been the girl next door, someone I once knew. It was a fear filled time with our young men being drafted and enlisting in order to fight the war in Vietnam. Families were closely knit, but not without their problems and heartache. 

Annie's story takes place in West Michigan, a place I call home. Her Dutch heritage mimics my own, and the setting is familiar and filled with the conservatism of the Dutch that emigrated in great numbers to the area. Memories from the time period and the locale produced considerable nostalgia as I read the details of the Jacobson family and the obstacles they faced. A detailed and poignant depiction of the life and time brought me to tears on several occasions, but the love of family wrapped me in a warm blanket.

This author has a gift for developing a setting and characters that reflect life in its fundamental form, without sugarcoating our basic humanity. Social issues are broached with candor and sensitivity. There is a depth of reality in her books that touches the heart, and the author's faith is woven throughout her characters' lives. I have read all of Finkbeiner's novels twice, and will reread All Manner of Things again as well. I highly recommend this heartrending tale of life as I remember it from my own experiences!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All expressed opinions are my own.

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