This I Know

I found it to be somewhat predictable at times. I would have probably given it three stars if not for the narrator. She was probably the best that I have heard.

I'm so in love with this book. What a magical place.

I was so immersed in this coming-of-age story and felt such a connection to Grace! That’s the hallmark of good storytelling. And a good story always has as a moral or two; you’ll find forgiveness figures largely here, and having - or not having - trust in those you love. It is a beautiful book and I loved the time I spent in Grace’s world.

Grace Carter is the middle daughter of five and she feels guilty that she survived her birth, while her twin brother, Isaac, did not. But Grace also has a special gift, which she calls the “Knowing.” The problem is that her father, a Christian preacher, does not believe this is a gift from God, but rather the Devil’s temptations. The novel follows Grace from age eleven to her early teens, as she tries to gain her father’s approval and love, while remaining true to herself.

I picked this up while trolling my public library’s shelves. I was a bit skeptical, but saw an author blurb from Lesley Kagen, whose books I enjoy, so though I give this a go. I’m glad I did.

I was quickly immersed in the story and eager to see how things would work out for Grace. The setting is a small town in Michigan in the late 1960s. Grace is a typical pre-teen in many respects; she wonders about boys and about getting her period; she fights with her sisters, and has dinner or sleepovers with her friend, Lola; she enjoys time spent with her family and at social activities sponsored by her father’s church. But there is that special gift that sets her apart and which she feels must keep secret from everyone. She just wants to fit in, but she can’t explain how she knows the things she knows, and she realizes that many people are leery of her because of it.

To add to her struggles growing up, Grace’s mother suffers from depression, particularly post-partum depression, so when her baby sister Marilyn is born just as Grace is entering her teens, things take a decided turn for the worse in Grace’s household.

Edwards includes a mystery regarding a pedophile in the area, and I thought this was unnecessary. That plot line comes and goes and is never really focused on, though it does give Grace an excuse to speak with the Sheriff and his wife. Also, some of the scenes got a bit mystical, especially when Grace is visiting patients at the hospital who are otherwise unresponsive.

All in all, though, it was a totally satisfying coming-of-age story.

I was extremely fortunate to win and advanced copy of “This I Know” written by Eldonna Edwards. This is my fair and honest review.

Wow. Just wow. I really had no idea what to expect from this novel, but I never expected it to grab me the way it did. I so adored Grace,the main character; I just wanted to give her a hug. Grace is a child who has a beautiful heart as most children do, but she’s surrounded by people who don’t understand her. The author explores clairvoyance he and how Grace’s family and friends struggle to accept
her for who she is. “This I Know” is about how we all have a sixth sense about us, but we lose it with age, With time and with life experience. How unfortunate for everyone. There are so many beautiful lines, I could go on all day. One in particular that really touched me was “ there are some lights that you shouldn’t hold onto”. Grace is referring to her lightning bugs that she had in the jar, however she’s also referring to herself and the light inside of her. How are just let our and no one should hold us back
Normally I don’t have any interest in any story that involves fantasy, otherworldly, out of body experiences. At first I thought that’s what this was going to be when I first touched on it in the book, that’s not what it was at all. This is a novel about a family struggling to be happy, to understand each other and to understand the world around them You really will get to know each character, some more deeply than others, but each one is there for a very specific purpose. Each character supported the protagonist, an idea, or simply was there to bring the reader forward in the narrative and without them it would not be the remarkable story that it was! I found myself finishing a chapter and feeling sad because I was engrossed. Yet at the same time, I couldn’t wait to get to the next one.

Eldonna Edwards- thank you so much for this beautiful novel!

This was a book club pick. I could not put this book down. I gave up a lot of things I wanted to get done and chose to read as many nights as I could. At times I found the religious closed mindedness of the father very painful but there is just so much reality to this story and Grace's resilience is so encouraging. Having a mother who was clairvoyant I really related to much of Grace's story. That is probably why I liked it so much. The ending is great too!

This is a wonderfully written coming of age novel with an added ingredient. Not only is Grace, an 11 year old girl, trying to navigate life but she also has a special gift that she calls 'the knowing' that makes her able to see people's pasts and futures.

Grace is part of a family with 4 girls and two parents. The only boy, and Grace's twin, died at birth and Grace continues to get guidance from him with her special gift. Her father is an evangelical preacher and her mother is struggling with day to day life due to deep depression after her last baby is born. Grace's father thinks that her ability to KNOW things is from the devil as do the people in their small town and her own sisters. Since Grace is set apart, she makes friends with some quirky people, a homeless man and the daughter of a hippie couple. She finally has to make a choice on whether she will use her gift to help people or whether she will conform to the person that her father, her family and her townspeople expect her to be and ignore her gift.

This is a beautiful well written novel. The character of Grace is well written and she is a character who will stay with the reader long after the book is completed.

What a wonderful story. Young Grace just captured my heart. She has the knowing, she sometimes knows things before they happen. Her prescher father tries to stop her from letting people know she has this knowledge, convinced it comes from the devil. Grace and her mother, however, know different. Her mother once had the same power, but was forced by life to squelch this gift. Grace makes friend with a homeless man, a man who has suffered much. A man who will be accused of terrible things. Grace knows he is a kind man who has had misfortune in his life. One of my favorite lines in this book, a quote that made me think, is one that is said by Grace to this man.

"People think that because you don't have a house, that you don't have a heart. "

Sometimes the younger are more wise than the elder. This family is full of love but also suffers some great tragedies. Grace though refuses to give up, and uses her gift for good, in the only way she can. If only her family can pull through, and her father can see that what she has can be used for good.

ARC from Netgalley.