“Sometimes I wish I could catch Mama’s voice in a jar and keep it beside my bed at night, let each note light the darkness like a captured firefly.”

Eldonna Edwards makes her debut with the best written child protagonist since Scout Finch appeared in To Kill a Mockingbird. Many thanks go to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the digital review copy.

Grace Carter is eleven years old, one of several daughters of a strict evangelical preacher. Her mother has come undone, slowly unraveling from grief that began with the death of Grace’s twin brother, Isaac. Grace misses Isaac, too, but she has the comfort of his counsel; she hears and knows things that most other people do not. Her mother and Aunt Pearl call it “the knowing”, but her father calls it the work of the devil. Grace grows up understanding that she must keep her head down and avoid getting into trouble. It’s a treacherous path, and now and then things pop out, as they will with adolescents.

Edwards is a gifted writer, and she’s tackled an ambitious project in writing a first person narrative. It’s hard to voice a child in a way that is developmentally appropriate and consistent, and she’s nailed it spot on. Many writers would try to dodge this literary obligation by creating a precocious, academically gifted character, which is so common that it’s clichéd, and as I read this story and see that Grace is just an average kid, apart from her supernatural talent, I hold my breath to see if she can carry it off all the way through, and she does it masterfully. The way Edwards develops Grace, adding layers to her personality and melding it with the dead-accurate setting—the Midwest during the 1960s—makes her one of the most exciting new voices to emerge this generation. The plot never slows, but with a character and setting this resonant, Edwards could send Grace to sit in her closet for the whole book and her readers would be captivated regardless.

I would have preferred a more nuanced ending, but it’s a small concern. Everyone that loves strong fiction will want this book. Order yours while you can get it on the first printing.

Despite all odds, clairvoyant girl (Grace) matures and accepts her Gift.

"I make people nervous, even Daddy. Especially Daddy."

Throughout this coming of age novel, eleven year old Grace grappled with how and when to use her ability, which she called "the Knowing." Her ability allowed her to see into the past and the future and even speak to her twin brother, Isaac, who died at birth. Grace's Evangelical preacher father, Henry, however, had the most difficult time accepting her ability and prayed that the devil would leave her alone. How did his opinion affect her as she matured and grew? Did she allow his domineering personality to crush her, or did she learn to believe in herself and her ability?

As I read this book, my heart ached for Grace as she tried so hard to fit in, to be a good and helpful young lady, and so desperately wanted her father to love her just the way she was. I was also very intrigued by her Gift and wanted to know more about it. I sympathized with the way she was treated—as anyone whose been treated as an outsider would—and rejoiced when her determination, courage, and resiliency helped her to (finally!) find a place in her family and her community.

I very much enjoyed this debut, and look forward to more from this author!

Other Characters:
Isabelle - Grace's mom
Aunt Pearl - Grace's favorite aunt, who is like a 2nd mother
Hope - Grace's oldest sister, 14 yo
Joy - Grace's older sister, 13 yo
Chastity - Grace's younger sister
Marilyn - Grace's baby sister, born with a heart problem
Lola - Grace's best friend

Thank you to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

In This I Know, we meet Grace and are along for her struggling journey to deal with her gift of the Knowing. Her Evangelical Pastor father is convinced this isn't one of God's gifts, and that she's possessed by the devil. It's one sure fire way to stand out in the world when you only want to get by just like everyone else.

Eldonna Edwards creates a character in Grace that you will quickly love. She shows the awkwardness in the character to perfection that takes you back and relates in some way to growing up yourself - we all had those moments.

I loved the writing and how careful Ms. Edwards crafted Grace with very age appropriate actions and behavior. This would be a great vacation read.

Beautiful book. The differences between family members was lovely and seemed to change as their circumstances did. I enjoyed this novel.

Lovely novel about Grace, a young girl whose clairvoyance brings her into conflict with her father, an evangelical preacher. That, however, is resolved as Grace matures and begins to help her family in ways they could not have anticipated. Nicely written, thoughtful, and a book which with faith based themes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

When I saw the cover and title for this book I knew that I wanted to read it. I loved this book from the beginning to the end! I read it in one day! I love the Mississippi family background and the southern Baptist family. Grace has a sweet, loving character and only wants to do what is right. You will be addicted to her! Well done, Eldonna Edwards!

This I Know is a wonderful inspiring story of love and forgiveness. The main character Grace is a sweet lovable character gifted with clairvoyance, often misunderstood, but with a heart of gold. I hope we get a sequel so that we can know her as an adult. Just read it, you won't be disappointed.

3.5 stars
I requested this book thinking it was a science fiction/historical fiction. A girl with supernatural clairvoyant powers sounded fascinating!. I was surprised when the story delved into a more spiritual and faith-based direction. With that said, it was a well written book with excellent character development and I quite enjoyed many parts of it.

First off, the author writes beautiful prose. The kind of writing that pulls the reader in immediately. I was fascinated by this little girl Grace and her uncanny ability to exude innocence and warmth. Grace is 11 years old. Her twin brother died at childbirth and she misses him dearly. She believes that her father would have preferred that she died instead of her brother. Grace was born with a clairvoyant ability she calls The Knowing. This gift allows her to communicate with the dead, know things before they happen and at times heal the pain of others. Her father, a reverend at the local church, believes that Grace's powers are spawned from the devil himself. Grace is warned never to use her gift and is punished by her father and feared by others when she does. The book's main focus is Grace's coming-of-age experiences in the late 60's as she grows up in a small town with 4 sisters and in a religious family. Also weaved into the plot are her mother's post partum depression that leaves the family vulnerable and a homeless man living in the family's barn who the locals believe to be dangerous.

The book has many tangents and layers. I was captivated by Grace's story and her supernatural gift. Where the book lost me was on the spiritual sections that focused on God and the church only because that particular genre is not of interest to me. The book is told from Grace's perspective and spans into the 1970's. It is both plot and character driven.

Overall a warm and uplifting read that kept me coming back for more. I think folks looking for a faith or spiritual focus in a historical fiction framework will probably enjoy this more than I did and rate it higher.

This is a really special book. The descriptions are unusual and exquisite. The characters are so well described I felt like I knew every one of them. I loved Grace - she's positively magical. The story is complex and yet realistic.

I definitely recommend this book!

Recieved an arc through netgalley. This book gave me higher hopes thinking it would not be mainly focused on religion, but it was. It was still an enjoyable read and the intuition or 'the knowing' aspect was really interesting I feel like the author may have pushed it too far though with Grace knowing practically everything and her father being so incredibly strict to go as trying to get the devil out of her. I liked her connection to her mom and Issac, but felt it got wrapped up too fast in the end. There was barely anything mentioned when her mom is healthy again and she just sudden floats off with this Robin guy, who also was random to throw into the picture and create this major relationship with in the last few chapters. The whole book was based off her relationships with her family and this internal conflict with the gift, but then it doesn't feel like everything gets wrapped up neatly in the end it just feels like a rushed okay typical happy conclusion. I really did not like the ending where her baby is born because it makes it seem like that is Issac being reborn. I am not sure if that was the intention or not, but it felt more creepy than sentimental. The baby having the same birthmark was cool and all, but the vibes throughout the book and what she says to him you just know it is supposed to be Issac and it really ruined the connection and bonding for me between them.

3.5 stars. I chose this book because of it's beautiful cover. I love a good Southern coming of age story, and This I Know did not disappoint. Grace is a sweet, intelligent girl with a very special talent, which she calls the knowing. This talent allows her to speak to her dead twin brother, see the future and past and find lost objects. Growing up in a small town in the 1960's this means that everyone is quite wary of her. Her father, an evangelical preacher, thinks that her talent comes from the devil. I loved that even though there were many sad things happening in this book, it always felt light and uplifting. The way she experiences her knowing, and what she feels was beautifully described. My only negative was the ending which felt rushed and almost unnecessary. The book focused on a specific time in her life, and we didn't need to fast-forward so far into the future to see what everyone ended up doing. Although the themes addressed in this novel wasn't new, the author did a great job creating a character that you feel for and beautifully describing her path to acceptance. Recommended as a feel good read.

“Grace decided that when she grew up she wanted to be the kind of mom who makes finger and toe paintings with her children
while listening to records on a real stereo”.

Hallelujah for Grace’s first best friend, Lola who introduced her to the wonderful world of art, music, dance, creativity, and full self expression.

For all ‘the knowing’ - the clairvoyance ability - Grace had inside her ....
she could hear things, see things, know things.....
Grace didn’t know why her ‘gift’ made her daddy so angry. She didn’t understand his coldness, his punishments, his slaps, his strict rules about what was sinful.
She also didn’t really know why she tried so hard to please her daddy.

Grace had ‘the knowing’, but the blind spots about herself contributed to self doubts about. She was often very lonely trying to be what she would never be happy being.

Thank God... (not her daddy’s God), for a few diamonds in the dust.
Her Aunt, mom, and friend, believed in who she was and loved her unconditionally.

As with all coming of age novels — we hope to see growth with our protagonist...
And we do with Grace.

Not without sadness, and a rigid religious upbringing, but over time -we see Grace developing a stronger inner sense of ‘self’. The relationship Grace has with her dead twin brother Isaac also grows.

My favorite scene was when Grace was 11 years old ‘playing’ at being the neighborhood fortuneteller. Kids paid a quarter to ask a question. Grace told them
their “knowing”.
I loved the scene because it was such a KID THING TO DO!!!! I know it was to be more ‘serious’ and ‘real’....
but I enjoyed the kids being kids and all their anticipation. The very cute towel Grace wore on her head was priceless and I found it adorable!

Sweet is a word that comes to me when thinking of this book. Its ‘not’ all sweet....( much to feel sorry about - the other siblings, a homeless man, and ‘mom’), but I found Grace sweet.... and the story tender to our hearts!
I liked Lola just as much as Grace. Smart girl moving out to Berkeley... my hometown! Good fit for her.
I was thankful to Lola. She was a wonderful friend to Grace, a girl who needed a good friend.

A small critique: towards the beginning of the story they were many sentences that had descriptions that didn’t make a lot of sense to me in relationship to the situation. It felt like the author was looking for creative juicy ways to describe hair, or a person’s voice, or an emotion. Yet they were awkward to me.

Example: Aunt Pearl... “her voice is like honey slow and dripping”.

However...once the story got going ... I didn’t notice these type of sentences as much any longer.
And for a first novel, there are many more plus’s than negatives.
HEART... lots of HEART!

Thank You Kensington Books, Netgalley, and Eldonna Edwards

We meet Grace in utero with her brother, Issac. Grace early on could hear her brother’s voice. She turned 11 and took a piece of cake and candle to her bedroom closet to celebrate her brothers birthday ascwell. Her sisters ratted her out and Grace got in trouble and was told to no longer talk to her brother. Her dad said she could have burnt the whole house down. I absolutely loved all the characters especially Grace. I highly recommend anything by Ms. Edwards

Written in young Grace's voice the book covers her experience being clairvoyant, what she calls "the knowing" , while growing up as a preachers daughter.
The book is well written and has a good plot and the characters are well and fully drawn.
While I didnt "love" the book I can find nothing wrong with it. It just isn't the type of story I normally read. It was listed as a Historical Fiction, but really don't see it as such. Those who read literary fiction should fall in love.

Grace Carter is one of five daughters living in a little town in Michigan. Grace is a bright, curious girl in middle school who has the gift of seeing and understanding things. Some people would say she has ESP or that she is a psychic. Grace's father, a minister, says it is the work of Satan. Grace is forbidden to use her powers when he is present, so she hides in her closet and talks to her twin, Issac, the boy who did not survive childbirth. Grace loves Issac, and he has a calming effect on her hectic life of school, chores, and trying to stay out of trouble with her father.

Grace's mother has the same power as well as possessing a beautiful voice. She has squelched her ability for her husband's sake and also only sings religious songs, those approved by the preacher/boss of the house. I found the father to be an egocentric bully in the pulpit and the home. Grace's mom had many ambitions surround her vocal ability but quit when she married and continued to have children. The family lives on a shoestring and everyone make sacrifices so that the father can run a church. The family suffers a great deal. The girls hardly have a healthy life. They are poor and different than their peers at school. My heart broke for Grace mainly.

Eldonna Edwards has written a family tale skillfully, showing humanity at its best and worst. I'm sure that many readers will welcome this beautiful book.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC

A beautifully-written women's fiction about a girl in the 60s with special powers. I loved the Midwest setting and it was interesting to watch Grace's family (they are Evangelical) cope with Grace being pretty much magical. Grace's mother struggles with post-partum depression. Grace tries very hard to get her father's approval, which comes so easy to her pretty and smart and ordinary sisters. Grace and her powers don't fit. It's a fantastic family story, which will provoke so many feelings in you. You won't be able to put this one down and Grace will stay with you for a long time.

“You’re right, you’re not normal, Grace. You’re exceptional. One day you’ll know how extraordinary you are, a blessing to the world.”

This I Know is a beautifully written story of opening your heart and opening your mind. Grace Carter is an extraordinary person who will stay with you long after you turn the last page of this novel. I encourage everyone to open their hearts and minds and read this book!

4.5 Stars

”Some days I look down
Afraid I will fall
And though the sun shines
I see nothing at all
Then I hear your sweet voice, oh
Oh, come and then go, come and then go
Telling me softly
You love me so”
-- Up to the Mountain, Songwriters: Patricia J. Griffin

”This isn’t a sad story. It’s a love story.”

Set apart from her family by her red hair and green eyes, like a foreigner in the land of blue-eyed blondes, Grace is further distanced by her evangelical preacher father’s feelings that her gift is of Satan.

Grace has the Knowing.

Isaac, her brother, her twin who never made it into this world explains the Knowing to her as “simply a deep awareness…They’d hear the extra notes and they’d see hidden pictures on the walls and they’d feel their mother’s heartbeat long after they were born into this world.”

”I make people nervous, even Daddy. Especially Daddy. I know this by how they look away, as if their darkest secrets will be exposed like tea leaves scattered in the snow.”

People in this small midwestern town avoid her; kids in her school won’t look directly at her. And then one day a girl named Lola moves there, and Lola befriends her. Lola’s parents are free spirits, artists, and Grace finally finds a place where she feels accepted, even with her Knowing.

Literally from the first words, the first paragraphs, I was pulled into Grace’s world, from her thoughts beginning one morning in March of 1958 when she was born into this world. Such simply beautiful, lyrical prose, it was easy to love her and feel her every emotion as she goes through a whirlwind of feelings, including, primarily, the attachment she still feels to her twin, Isaac.

”I don’t think anyone in this family knows how lonely I feel sometimes. Just once I wish Daddy would look at me with the same gleam in his eyes he does with Joy and Chastity or even poor Hope.”

Her family doesn’t really understand her, and her mother – who should – has never completely recovered from losing her son. They’d been visiting Aunt Pearl in Mississippi when she went into labor, and after that her mother never let go of that sadness.

”Mamma was distraught. We stayed with Aunt Pearl until after the funeral; then Daddy drove straight through the night back to Michigan. He couldn’t wait to take Mama away from the place that housed all that sadness. What he doesn’t understand is that she brought the memory of that dead baby with her, packed her grief into every last bag before we drove out of Rankin County.”

Sorrow is as much a presence in this debut novel as the people in this family, in this town. Like the notes of a song, it weaves through so many, a homeless man, Lyle, whom Grace befriends, through Grace herself, her mother, and others touched by sorrow, as well. It hovers over all, weaving its way through these lives, but also transforming into uplifting, lyrical, soothing moments.

And, like a song, its beauty is in the story told through movement, of Grace and her family from one moment to the next, through tension, release, sadness, but also joy, and the power of love from the beginning until the last note is played.

Pub Date: 24 APR 2018


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Kensington Books / John Scognamiglio Books

If you see this book at a bookstore, at a library, on Kindle or other sites, do not pass it by! It is a lovely, heart-touching, endearing, heart strings pulling novel about a young girl growing up while trying to fit into her family. She is often rejected or misunderstood. Grace has a gift of Knowing or clairvoyance that her pastor father cannot abide, her sisters poke fun at and others turn away from in fear. Grace is trying her best to deny her gift but it will not allow her to do this.
Along the way growing up, her gift brings her both joy and sadness. She experiences thing her gift does but cannot share them for fear of rejection by her father. He is entrenched in church thought that she is devil filled, even though she repeated states she is driven by God and by what is right, not evil.
My heart broke so many times as I read her deep struggles and hurts. Above it all, she’s a survivor

I’m writing this through teary eyes! I absolutely loved this book! The characters were so real to me. I loved Grace, Isaac, Lyle, and Aunt Pearl. This book has love, happiness, sadness, God and the knowing all wrapped up into a terrific story. I will absolutely be recommending this book to everyone! Eldonna Edwards has done it again and I can’t wait for her next book. I was lucky enough to get an early release from NetGalley.