All The Forgiveness

 Santa brought me a new Kindle Paperwhite ~ happy!

I just finished my first book for 2021, and it was soooo good.

All The Forgiveness

Set in Appalachia and the Midwest at the turn of the twentieth century, this exquisite debut novel paints an intimately rendered portrait of one resilient farm family's challenges and hard-won triumphs--helmed by an unforgettable heroine.

Growing up on their hardscrabble farm in rural Kentucky, fifteen-year-old Albertina "Bertie" Winslow has learned a lot from her mama, Polly. She knows how to lance a boil, make a pie crust, butcher a pig, and tend to every chore that needs doing. What she doesn't know, but is forced to reckon with all too soon, is how to look after children as a mother should ...

When Polly succumbs to a long illness, Bertie takes on responsibility for her four younger siblings and their dissolute, unreliable daddy. Yet no matter how hard she tries to hold the family together, the task is overwhelming. Nine-year-old Dacia, especially, is resentful and stubborn, hinting at secrets in their mama's life. Finally, Bertie makes the only choice she can--breaking up the family for its own survival, keeping the girls with her, sending the boys off to their grown brothers, long gone from home.

Ever pragmatic, Bertie marries young, grateful to find a husband willing to take on the care of her sisters, and eventually moves to the oil fields of Kansas. But marriage alone cannot resolve the grief and guilt she carries over a long-ago tragedy, or prepare her for the heartaches still to come. Only by confronting wrenching truths can she open herself to joy--and learn how to not only give, but receive, unfettered love.

Inspired by stories told by the author's mother and aunts, All the Forgivenesses is as authentic as it is lyrical--a captivating novel of family loyalty, redemption, and resilience.

This is one of those books I couldn't put down, I found myself reading late into the night, until my eyes were so tired I could read no more.

I must say, there is some curse words used, not often but I want you to know.  There is one (just one) paragraph that was very offensive, I almost put the book down.  I've thought about that paragraph and for the life of me I don't understand why it's there.  It adds absolutely nothing to the story and certainly wouldn't be missed if it wasn't there.  With that said, I'm glad I stayed with the book, it's such a touching story of hardship, struggles and perseverance, and of a young lady coming to know the redeeming grace of Christ Jesus.

Until Next Time