I thought I would like this one more than I did, since it had the historical aspect, as well as the food/small business. I loved the historical part of the story! The modern day heroine just drove me nuts with how wish washy she was about saving the farm.

5 stars, personally, and so many thoughts. 😭

About this book:

“Answering a woman’s desperate call for help, young Navy widow Helen Devries opens her Whidbey Island home as a refuge to Choi Eunhee. As they bond over common losses and a delicate, potentially devastating secret, their friendship spans the remainder of their lives.
After losing her mother, Cassidy Quinn spent her childhood summers with her gran, Helen, at her farmhouse. Nourished by her grandmother’s love and encouragement, Cassidy discovers a passion that she hopes will bloom into a career. But after Helen passes, Cassidy learns that her home and garden have fallen into serious disrepair. Worse, a looming tax debt threatens her inheritance. Facing the loss of her legacy and in need of allies and ideas, Cassidy reaches out to Nick, her former love, despite the complicated emotions brought by having him back in her life.
Cassidy inherits not only the family home but a task, spoken with her grandmother’s final breaths: ask Grace Kim—Eunhee’s granddaughter—to help sort through the contents of the locked hope chest in the attic. As she and Grace dig into the past, they unearth their grandmothers’ long-held secret and more. Each startling revelation reshapes their understanding of their grandmothers and ultimately inspires the courage to take risks and make changes to own their lives.
Set in both modern-day and midcentury Whidbey Island, Washington, this dual-narrative story of four women—grandmothers and granddaughters—intertwines across generations to explore the secrets we keep, the love we pass down, and the heirlooms we inherit from a well-lived life.”


Series: As of now, no. A stand-alone novel.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, remembered, & quoted; Prayers & Thanking God; Talks about God, being mad at Him, those in the Bible, & callings; ‘H’s are not capitalized when referring to God; Helen isn’t a believer, wonders that “if God saw the future, it seemed problematic that he didn’t head off some of the troubles at the pass”, is witnessed to by others and notices that they have something she does not and wants to fill the hole in her life (*Spoiler* [At about 3/4 of the story, she prays and Eunhee says she sees Him in her *End of Spoiler* (hide spoiler)]); Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, drawing on strength by going to church and being with other believers, church going, pastors/preachers, & a message at a funeral; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those & events in the Bible (Job and his story, the parable of the blind man, & Esther); Mentions of Heaven; Mentions of Christians & being one; A few mentions of blessings; A couple mentions of a Christian mixer; A mention of Eve from the Bible (in regards to apples): A mention of missionaries;
*Note: Mentions of Greek gods & goddesses (including a story about the Trojan War starting from an apple and Greek gods); A few mentions of the Korean holiday Chuseok when Koreans give thanks to their ancestors for a good harvest (Eunhee says she thanks God and does not worship her ancestors, though she is grateful for their sacrifices); A couple mentions of a misunderstanding about “Cinn (cinnamon) rolls” being mistaken as “Sin rolls” and wondering if you must confess and repent; A couple mentions of thinking that a husband would worship the ground his wife walked on if it wasn’t idolatry; A mention of a quote saying that “Fate” sent someone lemons.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘stupid’; A bit of eye rolling & sarcasm; Seeing the death of two loved ones (one peacefully, not violent and preparing for the other); Getting stuck in quicksand and thinking you might drown (up to semi-detailed); Helen smokes a bit at the beginning (at one point, breathing the smoke soothes her anxiety); Cassidy socially drinks (beer at a restaurant and wine after dinner/with dinner) with some friends (it’s causally mentioned and written as a normal thing to do); Mentions of wars, deaths, & fighting; Mentions of deaths & a death from a training accident; Mentions of injuries, pain, blood/bleeding & broken bones (up to semi-detailed, written in a medical way); Mentions of prejudice & racism (including an “Asian flu” going around and a Korean woman being blamed for a death, a Dutch church not being welcoming to a non-Dutch person, mixed raced family being shamed, & some in the 1950s talking bad about a child with disabilities—more on that in the Note section); Mentions of alcohol & socially drinking; Mentions of smoking & cigarettes; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of DUIs and divorces; A few mentions of eavesdropping; A couple mentions of a mother dying from breast cancer; A couple mentions of a physically & verbally abusive father; A couple mentions of possibly killing someone in a car because of their bad driving; A couple mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of the smells of urine & dirty diapers; A mention of Hitler’s first victims being intellectually and physically disabled people; A teasing mention of hiding bodies; A mention of a crime; A mention of jealousy; A mention of a man teasingly saying that he would leave his wife for a woman who is a good cook;
*Note: A doctor and orderly are bluntly rude about those with disabilities (including saying that it would be better if the baby died as they won’t have a meaningful life, that the child is damaged, that is would be best for the mothers to forget she had the child, blaming the mother for the baby’s conditions, that the babies are abnormal and don’t have feelings, and about those being “worthy” to have surgeries and limited resourced for health), this all great upsets Helen; Helen visits an institution and is wrecked by what she sees, hears and the lack of care the people there have for those who need compassion and care; Both Helen and Eunhee are grieving the loss of their husbands; Mentions of actresses, TV shows, singers, & songs (Elizabeth Taylor, American Bandstand, The Lawrence Welk Show, As the World Turns, Petticoat Junction, Elvis, Doris Day, Connie Francis, and Nu Shooz); Mentions of brand names, stores, & items (Folger’s, Lipton, Sears, Avon, Ray-Ban, Kodak, Vicks VapoRub, Johnson’s baby products, Mirro waterless cookpot, Chanel, iPads, Sharpie, Rubik’s Cube, Nintendo Switch, Corelle dishes, 7UP, Bialetti espresso machine, Macy’s, and Sunshine Hi Ho crackers); Mentions of websites & social media sites (Google, Facebook, FaceTime, LinkedIn, Instagram, The Knot, Etsy, Zoom, & GoFundMe); Mentions of The Lion King movie & quotes from it; Mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of aliens & UFOs.


Sexual Content- Two not-detailed kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Some Touches, Embraces, Snuggling, Hand Holding, & Tingles; Blushes; A bit of Noticing & Smelling (& wanting to run your fingers through someone’s hair); Helen’s (married) boss at the hospital is overly friendly to her, touches her thigh, and propositions her to have an affair with him (called a “secret arrangement”, but she is very uncomfortable with his attention and firmly tells him no; he mentions that him and his wife are “not together in the most important ways” and Helen feels bad for his wife who is married to a man “who would not reserve himself for his wife alone”); Mentions of the possibility of a woman having a child out-of-wedlock & other unwed mothers; Mentions of dating, dates, boyfriends, exes, & break-ups; Mentions of sending mixed signals; Mentions of winks & blushes; A few mentions of kisses & kissing; A few mentions of thinking that a young woman is moving in with a guy (she’s not); A couple mentions of unwelcome propositions from male bosses & one’s philandering; A mention of jealousy; A mention of a guy teasingly pretending to vamp; Very light love & the emotions;
*Note: At the beginning, Helen longs to have a baby and is sad about it not happening; Mentions of labor, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed, written in a medical-based way); A few mentions of women’s periods; A couple mentions of breastfeeding & the baby having trouble latching onto the mother’s nipple.

-Helen Devries, age 27
-Cassidy Quinn, age 28
P.O.V. switches between 3rd person P.O.V. of Helen & 1st person of Cassidy
Dual-Time Period: 1958 & Present day
464 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Five Stars

{ Add a ½ star for older girls interested in Korean culture. }
{ Add a ½ star for those with interest in working with those with special needs.}

The minute I saw this book featured Korean and Korean-American characters, I was instantly excited. I’ve been learning Korean for the last five years and it’s a language and culture that I love. It’s always been in the back of my mind, though, (some days in the front of my mind) that my love for Korean and my interest in Christian Fiction have never been able to overlap.

Until this book.

My heart. This book had my heart—my passions—in it.

Not only did this book have about the beautiful Korean language and Korean traditions, it had a ton of gardening and growing flowers to bring others joy, and then also about advocating for those who are differently abled with having characters who have Down Syndrome and Autism. I loved seeing the message of hope and having hope weaved through both time periods.

I haven’t read many dual-time period novels but all the ones I remember reading, I didn’t enjoy them because how I would be in one story/time and then the next chapter I would be in another, and this would continue back-and-forth for the whole book. But with “Heirlooms” we spent a few chapters with each set of characters before changing which made the typical brunt of switching way less noticeable. I would be a bit sad each time when it would switch, but I still liked both a lot for different reasons—the 1950s time due to Helen and Eunhee and then all the gardening and caring with Cassidy.

Overall, this book was a beautiful story to me. I loved all these messages and topics, how important the friendship aspects were, the writing style, the faith content (particularly how some of the characters witnessed their faith to others by their actions, though overall I would have liked a bit more faith content, personally), the digital marketing/tech parts, and light romance (which was nowhere near the focus of the book as they were both growing and learning). I cried at multiple parts because of these messages and how much I was enjoying the story with all these elements that are so near and very dear to my heart.

(Note on ratings for the target ages of BFCG, ages 9-19: The only two things I wasn’t a big fan of are reflected in the ratings for the target ages of this site but did not affect my personal rating for this book. 1.) Cassidy and a couple of her friends they socially drink (beer at a restaurant and wine at night) and it’s casually mentioned, but it’s up to each family’s opinion on those handful of parts being okay or not. 2.) Another would be that in the 1950s time, Helen’s boss at the hospital propositions her to having an affair with him (the word is never said) and she is uncomfortable with him being near him and tells him no, so that element is nipped in the bud (pun intended) about half-way through.)


Link to review:



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Tyndale) for this honest review.

this story has a dual timeline, set during the Korean war, easy to follow the timelines, enjoyed the story.

Such a beautifully emotional dual-time novel from one of my favorite authors. It blends together past and present times,weaving in the hardships and light times of goodness,secrets and sadness,cultural differences that were met on middle grounds.Flower and food growing bond two women together as their friendship grows stronger. Wonderful story about the strength and perseverance of women.

Pub Date 05 Jul 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Well this book took me back to my growing up years with my grandparents, telephones with party lines and cooking with or watching my grandparents cook. I had a wonderful childhood with all four of my grandparents so this brought so many memories to my mind and touched my heart.
I got so interested in Helen and Eunhee, then along came their granddaughters so intertwined with their grandmothers because that’s how life is. We are the person we are because of the people in our lives.
I loved how their was an element of faith and mystery, hunting for the reason that Cassidy’s grandmother wanted Grace to help her look through the attic. I couldn’t wait to find out why.
The grandmothers nor the granddaughters let cultural differences break them apart and they found common ground in cooking and growing food and flowers.
If you like Women’s Fiction this is a book you will want to read.
I received a NetGalley copy through the publisher but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Sandra Byrd is a long-time favorite author of mine, and I was happy to see her delve into a dual-time story. Past and present intertwine beautifully in this story of friendship, secrets, and sacrifice. Everyday challenges and life decisions color this character-driven novel. There are references to growing food and flowers and how these things have spanned the generations.

The 1950s setting is such an engaging time period, full of details that bring it to life. The lovely friendship between Helen, a Navy nurse and war widow, and Eunchee, another widow in dire circumstances, shines brightly in this narrative. Byrd paints a vivid picture of the life-long relationship that blossoms from such love and care for one another. Helen’s life had become stagnant much like her farm had lain fallow and in need of care. With Eunchee to help her, food and flowers begin to grow and blossom along with their friendship.

This is the legacy that Helen’s granddaughter, Cassidy, is determined to uphold after inheriting the home and farm. At Helen’s insistence before her death, Cassidy reaches out to Grace Kim, her friend and Eunchee’s granddaughter, to uncover secrets that will impact both families. The secondary characters are lovely, especially those that welcome Cassidy as she makes a go of life at the farmhouse. As her flowers bloom, so do the varying people that have vested their time and love into them, and by extension, into her. Things may not turn out exactly as planned, but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be beauty in the unexpected – “I was not going to rehearse a litany of my losses. Instead, I’d recall a bounty of my blessings.”

Heirlooms is a charming novel with grit and heart. Highly recommended for readers of dual-time fiction.

I received an advanced complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher; a positive review was not required, and these are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Heirlooms is a lovely tale about friendship, love, forgiveness, and perseverance. In the historical portion of this time slip novel, Helen Devries has received a phone call from the widowed wife, Eunhee, of one of her deceased husband's military coworkers. She is Korean and finds herself alone with no one but Helen to turn to. I really enjoyed the friendship aspect of this book. The relationship between Helen and Eunhee was delightful. I loved how they taught each other things along with helping one another. I also really appreciated the strength of these two characters. They showed the hardships of so many widowed war wives. In the current time period portion of this story, Cassidy Quinn inherits her grandmother's home and has to figure out what she truly wants to do with it. There were portions of Cassidy's story that I liked and some I didn't. Again, I loved the relationship between her and her best friend. This type of relationship is definitely where Ms. Byrd shines! I didn't love her romantic relationship. They felt more like best friends without chemistry. But this certainly didn't stop me from enjoying the story! It's quite enjoyable!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow. Just wow. What a book!
While this book was based on 2 ladies and their grandmothers, It was not complicated to follow. In fact, it was fascinating to see how it all magnificently came together! I loved how the idea of doing great things can be set aside for doing really good things. I also liked the idea that secrets sometimes are kept out of love, not a desire to deceive. But there will probably come a right time to reveal the secret, into the sunshine and light. Finally, I appreciated the author's research into Down syndrome and autism - what a powerful effect that had!
Pesonally, I might have been tempted to call the book "Heirlooms and Heart" due to the cheers and tears I experienced! I have read several books by this author and look forward to reading more!
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

This was a very sweet book. I have not read anything set in the Korean War era, so it was very interesting. The author did a great job of weaving Korean customs into the plot of the story, and it was lovely to see how she tied two family histories together through the narrative. It had a great ending that created beauty and honored the previous generation.

I’m thankful to Tyndall Publishers for the advance readers copy of this book. Try e opinions are entirely my own.

Heirlooms is a lovely, heartfelt story that spans generations. Told in dual timelines, we meet Helen and Choi Eunhee as well as their granddaughters, Cassidy and Grace. The Korean and Dutch cultural details in both timelines added a beautiful depth to both the historical and present day storylines. While Cassidy and Grace did receive physical heirlooms from their grandmothers, the richer inheritance was their legacy of overcoming challenges through faith, friendship, and perseverance. The way their stories were woven together was powerful and poignant. The life lessons in this touching novel will linger long after the final page!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Heirlooms by Sandra Byrd does not follow the usual formula for dual-time stories. Readers aren’t switching between timelines every other chapter. Instead, Byrd gives readers a few chapters in each timeline (1950s and present day), which really lets you immerse yourself in that era. It works really well for this book.

There is a lot packed into these pages—prejudice, widowhood, friendship, family, food, gardening, flowers, romance, and even a small mystery. I tend to gravitate more toward the modern storylines in dual time reads, but that was not the case with this book. It was the friendship that quickly forms between Helen and Eunhee that struck deepest in my heart. Helen is so open and welcoming of Eunhee from the beginning and the two women learn from and support each other in such a way that their friendship is planted deep and blooms throughout their lives.

My favorite part of the modern-day plot was Cassidy’s quick and easy acceptance of working with differently abled people. She is not only willing to hire them, she also understands them and does her best to put her at ease.

Once in a while the pace slowed throughout the book, but those lags were short and before long, I was drawn into the story again. Heirlooms has a little bit of something for all readers to enjoy and has strong messages (yes, multiple ones) throughout that all of us should aspire to embrace.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own.

“Take your heirloom and give it the taste of your hands.”

Sandra Byrd’s Heirlooms is an endearing story of family legacy—families by blood and by heart—and family secrets. It’s an absorbing story of love and pain, forgiveness, hope, strength, and motherhood—and the seeds that grow literally and figuratively in the lives of all the characters.

This is a split-time story that features two young widows—Helen and Eunhee—in the 1960s, and the contemporary timeline, features the women’s granddaughters, Cassidy and Grace. The richness of their intertwining heritage, both American and Korean were exquisitely written with realistic realities that often had me grabbing for tissues.

Normally, I’m a fast reader, but I recommend taking your time. The depth of these characters and the beautiful writing had me rereading lines just to savor them, such as the first line above.

This was my first Sandra Byrd book, but most definitely will not be my last.

I highly recommend to readers looking for a beautiful story with depth and honesty and hope.

Thanks to Tyndale and #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #Heirlooms for my honest review.

1958 & present day Whidbey Island (Washington)

Lovely tale about the strength of women and the value of helping others. Interwoven in the pages is the joy of cooking.

There are not many novels set in the 1950s so it was a joy to be a part of the time period including details such as party lines (a busybodies dream!). As a widow Helen finds joy in her job as a nurse at the local military hospital and also in her home and land. In the beginning of the novel, she's getting by on TV dinners. Fortunately, women come into her life that teach her to cook.

In the present day thread, Helen's granddaughter Cassidy is struggling to find what do with her life. Her grandmother was an inspiration.

Engaging novel that held my interest from beginning to end. And the cover is so beautiful and a great representation of the joy of flowers. Loved hearing more about the meaning of different flowers in the pages.

I enjoI enjoyed this dual timeline read. Two women, Helen and Eunhee, with similar circumstances forge a friendship after the Korean war. In the present, their granddaughters uncover a family heirloom that also uncovers a family secret. The two timelines were intertwined perfectly. As a gardener myself, I enjoyed the time they spent in the garden. I recommend this book to those who like dual timelines and those who haven’t read one yet. You should give this book a try. You will love it! This is my first book by Sandra Boyd and it won’t be my last.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
yed reading this book.

A timeless story of valuable heirlooms “… gifts of the heart, the soul, and the will, offered day by day throughout life rather than given after death.”
Beautiful story!
“I hope the book will strengthen you not only to dream but to set goals, to act for yourself and also for others, and to honor the heirlooms you’ve been gifted and plan for those you’ll leave for those coming after you.”
I received an ARC of this book for review. I was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions in this review are my own.

"Answering a woman’s desperate call for help, young Navy widow Helen Devries opens her Whidbey Island home as a refuge to Choi Eunhee. As they bond over common losses and a delicate, potentially devastating secret, their friendship spans the remainder of their lives."

Heirlooms is a story of friendship, family, loyalty, and a passion for cooking, and flowers. Written in Sandra's excellent style of writing. Written in a dual timeline, Helen Devries and Choi Eunhee. Helen is a widow who had purchased a dilapidated farm on Whidbey Island, Washington, and restored and planted gardens and flowers. Choi is also a widow, who is Korean, and contacts Helen seeking a place to stay. She can't go home to her parents as she had married an American and turns out that she is also pregnant. This is looked down upon in her culture.

Helen readily agrees and Choi stays through her pregnancy. During that time, Choi helps Helen take care of her gardens and teaches Helen about her culture and how to cook.

At present time Cassidy Quinn who is the granddaughter of Helen and Grace is Choi's granddaughter. They have a close relationship. After Helen passes, her farm and everything goes to Cassidy. Grace is a young woman who hopes to be a lawyer but does not pass the bar. Together they are tasked to go through Helen's secrets in a chest in the attic. There they learn that Grace's grandmother had had a child, but she kept that secret from her next husband and family. Grace has a conundrum, does she go to her family with the secrets that she has uncovered.

Cassidy is faced with many obstacles in keeping the farm, taxes loom and the loan has been called in by the bank. With the help of Grace and others, she is able to persevere in her goals to keep the farm and make it a profitable business. Selling flowers and vegetables is what she wants to be successful at.

All of these women have great faith and triumph over the obstacles in their way. Love and loss of course is the main premise of the story, the author is so adept at writing bout the feelings of the characters in her novels. Generations of women are all able to explore the love and friendship that they share.

I love all of Sandra's books, this one though was different from others she has written. Written with compassion and it shows how the friendships we have affects future generations.

I give this book 5 stars!

This was a fantastic story. I loved how it shows that there are secrets in each generation of a family. There are great characters in each generation. I loved the romance also. I loved learning a little about different types of flowers. This story made me laugh and cry. I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I started reading this book, and was immediately captivated.
Not only by the characters in the historical time line, but also the more modern day one.
And I loved reading about Whidbey Island (just where exactly is it?!)
I loved learning more about what life was like in those post WWII days. I especially enjoyed seeing what a cross-cultural friendship was like in the days when those were not only rare and unheard of, but extremely unpopular and considered almost...suspicious?!
Helen is a rare person. Determined, with lots of spunk and grit. Yet, seeking, looking, yearning. She is one of those who has had a hard life, but in spite of all of it, has determined to 'make lemonade'. I enjoyed watching her friendship with Eunhee grow.
Then there's Cassidy, of the present day timeline. She has dreams of being a master gardener. But, there's also her grandma's home that she is determined to save. She needs a plan. I enjoyed getting to know her, and see her grow through her friendships.
I especially enjoyed learning how the two time lines tied together. I had my suspicions, but loved reading and having some of my thoughts confirmed, while other things played out that I had no idea about.
This book is classified as a women's fiction, and it is one of those that will linger with me for quite awhile, even after I've closed the book and put it back on my bookshelf.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Heirlooms, the newest release by prolific author Sandra Byrd, is a moving story is about love and loss, secrets and forgiveness, motherhood and found family, and leaving a legacy for future generations. It's told in dual timelines - one featuring young widows Helen and Eunhee in the early 1960s and the second focusing on their granddaughters Cassidy and Grace in current time. Both are set on Whidbey Island, Washington; there's something special about a story that happens in a place one step removed from the rest of the world.

This novel was deeply meaningful to me because individuals with Down Syndrome connect both storylines. I'm the proud aunt of Layton, a fantastic young man who has Down Syndrome, and the first 18 years of my career I was employed by a non-profit organization that supports individuals with intellectual disabilities. While this aspect of the historic storyline was upsetting to read, reality was even harsher as explained in the author's note.

I felt so connected to the story as several things were flashbacks to my own childhood, including the multi-party telephone line, using a Betty Crocker red plaid cookbook, and singing the Johnny Appleseed meal grace. Yet other aspects were windows into Korean culture, such as a 100 Day celebration and Rose of Sharon symbolism.

Rather than flip between decades every chapter, readers get to spend extended time with one set of characters before transitioning to the other, which enabled me to feel very grounded in both time periods. My only criticism of the novel is that sometimes the dialog felt overly formal and unnatural.

Thank you to Tyndale House and NetGalley for the review copy of this novel. I voluntarily provided this review and all opinions are my own.

Heirlooms is a beautifully blended dual time story focusing on friendship and family across the generations. I’ve not read anything from Sandra Byrd before. When I first started it felt a little wordy with elaborate descriptive detail but I quickly settled in to her writing style and ended up loving the story and the beautiful pictures her words painted. The lovely, emotional story fully kept my attention with some unexpected turns. I liked the 1950’s history, interesting Korean culture, as well as gardening and flower facts woven throughout. It is a very good, satisfying story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale for the opportunity to read for honest review.