Edge of Belonging (vuoden 2020 painos)

This book came out a few months ago and I wasn’t sure I was going to get to it, but ya’ll (that’s a nod to the book’s Tennessee setting), I’m so glad I did.

These characters pulled me in. From homeless Harvey who falls in love with a little baby girl to Ivy Rose who wants to know her adoption story to the pastor’s wife who longs for her own child, this group of people form a family.

There is also a sweet romance that develops throughout this story that increased my enjoyment. If The Edge of Belonging is what we get as a debut from Amanda Cox, I look forward to what comes next.

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

I knew after finishing this book that I couldn't put the full experience into words. The closest I can come is to say that it felt like a hug. It felt simultaneously comforting and eye-opening.
It has life beyond the pages, and those pages were infused with hope and healing.

Everything about it is genuine, and there was no place for contrived misunderstandings, drama, or superficiality because the characters had so much depth. They care about each other, they keep reaching out when it's hard and their attempts are rejected. They keep offering support, whether to a homeless man trying to take care of a baby abandoned like himself, a hurting best friend learning to lean on others again, or a grieving wife learning to navigate a new life. And I loved how the author took the familiar concept of found family and expounded on it, showing that family is who you love.

This book came to me when I needed it and blessed me so much. I found myself making notes in the margins and empathizing with the characters more than I thought I could.

This quote beautifully embodies the heart of this book:
"There came a point when it was like a knife had cut through the fog. Marriage, relationships, they were made for leaning. Not as an excuse not to grow, mind you. But we all need a place to rest and be reassured. God puts people in our lives to have and to hold. To give this existence richer meaning. I don't think we were ever meant to fight life's battles alone."

*happy sigh* I'd recommend this to those who love found family stories with strong relationships and a touching redemptive arc.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. A positive review was not required. ( )

THE EDGE OF BELONGING by AMANDA COX
It is hard to believe that this is a debut book. I was blown away by the emotions that seeped through the pages and the characters that I began to feel like I knew. Hands down my favorite character has to be Harvey. This sweet homeless man embraces a baby that someone tossed away and protected it as his own. I wondered why the baby was left and why a mother would abandon her baby? His story tugged in my heart so much I wanted to give him a hug. Maybe he thinks there is no hope or reason for his life, but God in His perfect time will reveal the call He has on his life.

I love dual time stories and this one was one I will never forget. The author handles the time slips with ease and allows readers to grasp the intensity the story will take. It was easy to cheer for Harvey because he loved the child with everything he had. His protectiveness was priceless and I loved how people reached out to help him.

When we go to the present we are introduced to Ivy. My very first thought as I got to know her was that she needed to run as fast as she could away from her boyfriend. He is emotionally and physically abusive, rude, arrogant and unpleasant.

The author delivers a story filled with abandonment, PTSD, secrets, pain and the knowledge that we all belong to God. As Ivy uncovers her past, she realizes that her life does matter and soon she comes to accept that God was watching over her. There are other characters in the story that bring wisdom, hope, longing for family and forgiveness. This is a must read for everyone who loves a great story that not only illustrates kindness, hope and family, but twists that will surprise you.

I received a copy of this book from The Librarything Early Reader Program. ( )

Ivy knew she was adopted; she just didn’t know how complicated her background was. But as the story of "The Edge of Belonging" unfolded the complexity of that background was revealed in two timelines, one involving the present day and the other the tale of how she was found by the side of the road by a homeless man. It was a desperate and life changing event for the both of them but only one retained the memory and it was up to Ivy to discover the truth of her early years in a story that kept me turning the pages towards the final outcome.

“If the story of my life could say one thing, I’d hope it would show the importance of venturing into the highways and the hedges to let invisible people know they’re seen and loved. To invite them in.”

A breathtaking tour de force, Amanda Cox’s “The Edge of Belonging” tugs at the heartstrings and reminds readers that belonging goes beyond having a place to live to encompass the people who love us and, by so doing, help us to truly belong. Cox employs a split-time structure to tell Ivy and Harvey’s story, and what I love about this format is the short time lapse; the two main storylines take place in 1994 and the present day, creating a small generational gap that allows readers to follow the same characters from one period of time to another. For a debut novel, “The Edge of Belonging” hits the perfect notes, drawing all of the characters together in a symphony both heartwarming and bittersweet.

With this intricately nuanced cast of characters, Cox demonstrates her keen understanding of and insight into the human psyche. In the present: a broken 24-year-old young woman who does not know who she is anymore and wonders if she ever did. Twenty-four years prior: a homeless man with a sorrowful past who finally has solitude and routine until he finds a newborn baby. An older woman heartbroken from recent losses but with much love still to give. A couple aggrieved by their inability to have children. And the thread of hope and faith that binds them all together.

My favorite aspect of the characters is how they exemplify Jesus amidst their mistakes and brokenness and humanness. Pearl is a prime example of this, and she is my favorite character, despite my incorrect characterization of her when she is first introduced. As a result of this and of several scenarios in the narrative, I find “The Edge of Belonging” to be convicting. How often do we judge someone based on their behavior or appearance without making any effort to reach out to them or know them on a personal level? Pearl is one of the foremost characters who demonstrates openhearted compassion, which she sums up in a simple and beautiful way: “Nurturing is nurturing. It doesn’t take a blood relative. We’re all adopted into God’s family through Jesus. And I decided long ago that if it was good enough for God, it was good enough for me. So I set in my heart that I would love and mother anyone who crossed my path who needed that kind of love.”

By far one of the best debut novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading, “The Edge of Belonging” gently speaks to many current issues, including PTSD, fostering and adoption, domestic violence, abuse, grief, and both platonic and romantic love. Most of all, it guides us toward the unconditional love of the One Who gave His life for us, and in Whose arms we will always find our place of belonging.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own. ( )