Book Review - The Edge of Belonging

 It's September 1994 when homeless Harvey James finds a newborn, still covered in blood and wrapped in a men's flannel shirt. The moment the tiny girl wraps her fingers around his, Harvey knows that this child cannot be thrown away the way he has been. Each would be the family the other had not had before.

It is September 2020 when The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox finds its way into my hands and doesn't leave them until I reach the end of this stirring and deeply emotional love story. You know the kind of book where you know what's coming, but the real enjoyment is in the reading? If you really wanted to shoehorn me into a literary type, that might be it. Life is full of surprises; action, adventure, twists & turns are great in a book, but sometimes I just need to know that it's all going to end up well and the most stressful plot point is that the male love interest confuses the female love interest's brother for a romantic rival. There's just the right amount of tension and misunderstanding before the confusion is unraveled and everyone lives happily ever after. 

I spent the entirety of The Edge of Belonging feeling like I had it pegged and thinking I would cruise along and enjoy this one, then shelve it along with all the other cozy books I have enjoyed. I suspect the author knew that was what would happen, because she didn't let it go so easily. Amanda Cox flat out wrestled with all the stressful plot points. Some of them hit closer to home for me than others, but they are all very real and very relevant. She handled them with care to bring about a story that needed to be told and treasured. I'm all full of book recommendations, in case you haven't noticed all the blog posts, but this one gets a special spot on my recommendation list. The Edge of Belonging is the kind of book you'll want to purchase in the physical copy, because I guarantee you will know someone else who needs to read it.

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox is currently available from your favorite bookseller.

Christianbook: https://tinyurl.com/yxbu76zw

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y4szmn63

Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/yy8llwyk

Thank you to the author and to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. All of the opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

25 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 13-15

I thought I might update my blog while I was away this weekend, but it didn't work out. Next time I'll know better! Saturday was day 13 of thanks-giving and I was thankful for pumpkin muffins. They are warm, sticky, handfuls of pumpkin spice-y goodness. They are exceedingly easy to make, and rumor has it that they are good for you. (I think its because they are so yummy. Anything this yummy has to be good for you!) They are especially good with a cup of coffee.

Pumpkin Muffins
1 can of pumpkin pie filling
1 spice cake mix
Mix together, spoon into greased/lined muffin pan, bake according to the directions on the cake mix. (Usually 350 degrees for 20 minutes.)

How easy is that?!?

Yesterday was day 14 and I was thankful for cooking as a family. It wasn't a big deal, just tacos for lunch (for 11 people,) but it was nice to be one of 3 or 4 women in the kitchen all working together to get it done. There was nothing remarkable about the event, except that feeling that all is right in the world when the women of the family are in the kitchen. Can I get an "Amen"?

Today is day 15 and I am thankful for the precious little lady who entered the world last night. Her name is Eden; her mommy is my cousin. I received a picture of her at 12:30am, after I had gotten to a lovely state of sleep, and when I saw her I didn't at all mind being awakened!