The Jacobson family has settled into a new normal since the dad, Frank, left. The raging war in Vietnam is going to cause that, and the family members, to change. Susie Finkbeiner’s All Manner of Things gets a hold of you and doesn’t let go as the Jacobsons learn about themselves and dealing with others.

Once I got started on the book, I kept sneaking in a chapter or two whenever I walked by. I felt like I was there as the story unfolded. I could imagine how the characters looked and acted. The writing let me feel what the characters felt, both the humor and the sorrow.

There are many parts I liked about the book besides being able to imagine the story. Trusting God, even when He seemed to be far away, sustained the Jacobsons. Their faith was a large part of their lives. I liked how the time period, including the mannerisms of the people, was captured by Susie Finkbeiner. The only issue I had with the book is that I wasn’t quite ready for it to end.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." 
- Dame Julian of Norwich, a 14th-15th century mystic

Some stories entertain, some stories thrill, and some stories inspire.  A few stories, however, go beyond and transport unsuspecting readers to another time and place.  I expected to be transported, to an extent.  I have read Susie Finkbeiner's previous "coming-of-age" series, which follows its protagonist, Pearl Spence, and her family from the dustbowl in Oklahoma to rural Michigan during the 1930s.  I was quite aware that Ms. Finkbeiner has a knack for transporting readers and trading ashes for beauty.   I wasn't quite expecting the extent to which this story would grab me by the throat. 

Y'all, I didn't expect to connect to this book.  I don't remember the Vietnam era or the '60s.  I do know some of the music, since my mother made sure I had a thorough childhood indoctrination in the music of the '50s and '60s, but bell bottoms, peace signs, and tie dye just aren't my jam.  I'm not groovy.  I often tend to casually dismiss contemporary fiction set in this era, preferring to take my fictional book-trips to more exotic times and places.  When I initially read the synopsis for this novel several months ago and saw the cover design, I was (I hate to admit it!) underwhelmed.  Meh.  Since I loved Susie Finkbeiner's previous series, however, and I was low on reading material, I decided to request an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley.  I am happy to admit that my initial impression was WRONG.

Annie Jacobson has few memories of her father, a Korean War veteran, who disappeared from his family's life one summer morning, years after returning from a conflict which followed him home.  Her younger brother, Joel, doesn't remember Frank at all.  Gloria, their hard-working single mother, has singlehandedly provided for the family's needs, but she can't afford to send Annie or Mike, Annie's elder brother, to college.  Annie is stuck waitressing in her cousin's diner while her best friend heads to college.  Because he isn't a student, Mike isn't eligible for a draft deferment.  When Mike announces that he has enlisted in the Army rather than waiting for his number to be called, the close-knit Jacobson family is deeply grieved.  Annie struggles to maintain a semblance of a normal life while navigating both the ordinary challenges of young adulthood and the extraordinary challenges of living in an era of wartime abroad while a thinning veneer of peace rules at home.

This book grabbed me from the outset.   There were momentary, fleeting connections due to references to familiar places: Lake Michigan (although I am familiar with the opposite shoreline) and Taylor University, my alma mater, feature brief cameo appearances in the Midwestern setting.  Like Annie, I have heard the haunting cries of loons, hung my bare feet over the edge of a dock and watched the sun sparkle off the facets of rippling water, and floated adrift on glassy Northern lakes which mirror the wooded shoreline.  While the setting blurred the lines between fiction and fact, Ms. Finkbeiner's true triumph is the characters.  This story no doubt resonated deeply with me partly because of my experience as an Army wife.  I know what it's like to send part of your heart to the other side of the world.  I understand the tension of living in a state of uncertainty while maintaining what passes for a normal life, for the sake of those whom we love.  I spent the better part of a year glancing out my kitchen window every morning to ensure that an unfamiliar vehicle with government tags wasn't parked on our cul-de-sac, because as a chaplain's wife, I was all too familiar with the casualty notification process.  As a chaplain's wife, I have also had a front row seat to the challenges veterans face during both deployment and 'reintegration.'  While homecoming is a sweet reunion, it also requires a re-merging of lives which may have diverged due to time apart and the trauma of war.  During our time in San Antonio, my husband worked with wounded warriors and I helped lead worship in a chapel service which was attended by many combat medics in training.  Because we are intimately acquainted with maintaining balance amidst these shifting sands, an inexplicable camaraderie exists among military families, which apparently extends even to particularly well-written fictional ones. 

After the first paragraph grabbed me by the throat, I whizzed through this book in under 24 hours.  I'm not going to lie.  It wasn't because I found every thread woven through the story pleasant.  In fact, some strands were distinctly unpleasant, but they were important pieces of the whole tapestry, which was breathtaking and beautiful.  You see, some stories tread closely - sometimes too closely - upon the edges of our real lives, exposing forgotten fears and hidden grief, reminding us of scars we bear or the scars of those whom we have loved. This story took me beyond the edge of fiction.  For a moment, I shared a space between fantasy and reality with a young woman who only exists in the pages of a book.  She is part of a sisterhood I know well.  We have shared one another's fears, wiped one another's tears, cared for one another's families, and prayed desperately for one another's loved one to return home, safe and sound.  I don't want to spoil the book for you, but I will simply say that the climax and denouement left my heart in my throat and tears streaming down my cheeks.  It wasn't quite an ugly cry, but it was the first book in a long time which truly made me cry.  Friends, this isn't a beach read or a playful, escapist romp.  "Read it with a box of tissues," as Meg Ryan's character says in You've Got Mail.  The Jacobson family's story will invite you to temporarily inhabit a small universe of joys and sorrows.  Fair warning: it may hit too close to home right now for my sweet sisters who have currently sent part of their hearts to the other side of the world.  

I can only hope that, like Susie Finkbeiner's previous character Pearl Spence, Annie Jacobson's journey isn't complete after the first installment of her story.  While All Manner of Things could be a stand-alone tale, it leaves a tender ache which longs for continued restoration and renewal, recognizing that once some chapters have been written, 'happily ever after' cannot look the same as readers may have initially expected.  All Manner of Things was an incredible journey into that realm somewhere between fact and fiction.  I find myself longing to sit beside Annie on the dock overlooking Old Chip as the sun slowly rises over the misty tree-lined shores, listening to the cry of a loon and allowing a few tears to fall as we contemplate the ageless wisdom of the promise that our Father will trade ashes for beauty.

"...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."
- Isaiah 61:3
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions contained in this review are my own.

Susie Finkbeiner’s book, All Manner of Things, took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. It pulled me right back into my growing up years. I was roughly the same age as the heroine Annie Jacobson during the 1960s and remember well the less complicated times, as well as the angst of the Vietnam War. I knew men (boys, really) who were being drafted and others who were enlisting because their draft numbers were at the top of the list. I knew men who died while serving their countries—ones who I had been going to high school and college with not that long before.
Finkbeiner is a master at taking a slice of history and making it come alive on the page. Her knowledge of the subject matter is evident on every page, and her writing is emotional and honest. The characters are multi-layered and realistic, and I could easily relate to them. Powerful themes of the importance of family, pushing through our fears, and keeping on when the way is hard, add an inspirational dimension to the story.

I thought the addition of letters written to and from different characters in the story was a stroke of genius. They gave an extra insight into the thoughts of the different people. This novel occupies a special place in my heart and will definitely be in my top reads of the year. It’s one for the keeper shelf! Warning: you might want to keep a box of tissue handy while reading this book!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher/NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner will fill your heart and touch your soul. As a child born in the 60’s; my memories of this era play in my mind through rose colored glasses. I have many happy memories and only a vague recollection of the war and the news of the war. Not many novels are set during this era making this an extra special book! Growing up in a small Michigan town near lake Michigan made it such fun reading about a fictional Michigan town near the lake. I was brought back to the 60’s through the mention of songs, TV shows, foods, saying and phrases that were popular, styles described in the book and more, how fun! But this book is so much more than “Fun”! This is an important story to read. It is also, at times, a difficult story to read. I kept thinking about all those who served in this war, all their families. I kept imagining that this fictional story was indeed a reality for so many! This is an important story to read. It is a story of great joy, great courage, great hope, great faith, and ultimately the happiness that comes from knowing and living in that Faith ❤

"Sometimes he feels so far, as if to never reach us. We call for him, we beg him to come . . . Then we see his power on display and remember, he has gone nowhere."

Annie Jacobson has experienced a lot of "leaving" in her eighteen years. First, her father and now her older brother. Volunteering for service to his country, Mike Jacobson begins the path that is destined to place him at the very epicenter of the Vietnam War. In the meantime, back at home, Annie's world tilts dangerously to the side when her estranged father rejoins what remains of his family, re-opening old wounds in a manner that brings both hope and heartache.

Using letters to form conversations that might otherwise have never been spoken, this family digs deep to believe that "all will be well". It's a story that begs to be told, and this author proves to be the perfect story teller.

"Live today and then tomorrow, and then the next day . . . . . Don't duck and cover."

I received a digital copy of this book from Net Galley as well as a print copy from the author and publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

This book is full of fabulous flawed characters you WILL grow to love, a time full of volatility and change, loss, comfort, angst, tragedy and, when you most need it, hope. Annie Jacobsen is so real to me, and all those she dealt with throughout this deep, real, heart-wrenching story of a family in Michigan in 1967 are not leaving me for a VERY long time. A microcosm of much of the volatility of that time, told in a very personal way, and with a hope so often missing in the midst of difficult and changing times. If you are looking for a light, sweet read, this ISN'T it - but if you want to live the authentic life of this time and place, I can't recommend All Manner of Things more highly.

Oh, my...my heart is full.

Susie Finkbeiner has penned a beautiful story of family and the love we share in the many relationships we hold in life. That of a child, sibling, spouse or friend. This is a story of how we care for each other through the hardships life brings and how we should treasure the sweet every day moments as memories are being created to last a lifetime. It is also a story of relying on our faith in God, that He knows of our suffering and promises that all will be well. This emotionally charged tale belongs on the keeper shelf, to be revisited again and again.

A few of my favorite quotes:
"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."

"Just remember, there's a light in the darkness. The darkness cannot understand it. But that light isn't for the darkness, It's for you. It's so you can find your way home."

"I believed that, as Oma said, we were meant for eternity. That life on this side was a prelude to the real life ahead of us. At least that is what I hoped for."

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.