AUTHOR: Amanda Cox
DATE: 2020
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: *****
When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she soon discovers that her grandmother left behind more than trinkets and photo frames--she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy's adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing.
Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he's ever loved.
In this dual-time story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth--both the search for it and the desire to keep it from others--takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go.
The Edge of Belonging grabbed my heart and never let go. The need to belong is deep in each of us, I believe, and this story vibrates with that deep-seated desire. I love this quote from early in the book, where young Harvey watched his current foster mom securely wrap her newborn to her chest.
How he’d longed to be that woman’s son. But Harvey had always been more like a kite at the end of a string, buffeted and jerked in the middle of a gale until the thin line snapped.
Each of the characters in this story quickly became real to me, as author Amanda Cox brings them to life with her skillful prose. I empathized with Ivy and Harvey, adored Reese, and longed to be more like Grandma in her wise compassion.
The Edge of Belonging will stay with me and easily earns five stars. I received a copy of this wonderful book from the publisher. Highly recommended!