All Manner of Things | Blog Tour
Back Cover
After Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he mails her 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. 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 will 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.
My Thoughts
Well, I'm going to start off with a thought that isn't my thought... because this thought sums up my thoughts so well. :)
"Some books are meant to be read. All Manner of Things is meant to be lived in." - Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of Between Two Shores
This book. It made me break out the box of Kleenex, laugh tenderly at the darling characters, and ache with loss when I was forced to say goodbye on the last page. Annie, Mike, Joel, Frank, and Gloria stole my heart. Honest.
I was excited to read this book because it's set in a different time period than I am used to reading. 1967 seemed intriguing and not so very long ago. I was not expecting the beauty of what Susie Finkbeiner has created in All Manner of Things. This story is about family.
When I first started reading, the story line seemed almost too simple and meandering. But this book is driven by the characters -- the hearts -- within the story. The plot scoots discreetly out of the way to leave room for an intimate look at the complications of relationships and the hope found in trusting God's sovereignty and goodness.
Annie was one of those rare 100% relatable main characters, and I loved her forthright personality. My favorite supporting character was Joel, the earnest, guitar-playing fourteen-year-old. I guess I have a weakness for younger brothers. :)
The pages of this book aren't just pages. They are a time capsule that immerse you in a small Michigan town in 1967. The diner, Aretha Franklin's music, bell bottom jeans, and TV broadcasts about racial conflict and the war in Vietnam gave me a glimpse into my grandparents' world.
"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."
I think I've gushed long enough for you to get the picture. Make this book your next read!
*I received a copy of this book from Revell Books (a division of Baker Publishing Group) in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.*