The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

 

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox is a heart-touching debut novel. I will certainly be looking to read more books by this author.

When The Edge of Belonging begins, Ivy Rose is engaged to a controlling, abusive man--and then her grandma passes away. She ends up returning to her hometown to oversee her grandma's estate sale--and to find out more information about her adoption.

Twenty-four years earlier, we read about Harvey James who found a newborn baby that gave him a sense of purpose and human connection for the first time in many years. Despite the odds being stacked against him, Harvey tries to help this little girl--and ultimately she helps him.

In this dual-timeline story, both Ivy and Harvey are struggling with love and loss and how to go on in life. I truly loved all of these characters except Seth. I struggled to read this part and get in to the book initially because I was at one time in an abusive relationship so it was a trigger for me. However, I am so glad I continued on and she does handle everything quite well. This book touched me deeply and I had to have tissues by my side as I read it. I truly felt for Harvey and Pearl as well as Ivy, her parents and her best friend Reese. These characters and this small town drew me in and once I got past the initial hard part, I also could not put it down. Cox deal with some difficult issues throughout the book but she does it so well. I feel like my words are inadequate in this review to share just how much I appreciated these character's stories. I also liked how Cox wove in her themes of God's love and redemption so skillfully. The Edge of Belonging was not preachy at all but it was heart and soul touching.

One of my favorite quotes:

Pearl shook her head. "Its not about my pain versus your pain. It's about sharing in the human experience and knowing what it is to hurt. It takes courage--stepping forward and healing when it's so tempting, so safe, to stay and worship the alters we've built to our pain. . ." (Page 297)

I received a copy of this book through the Revell Reads Blogger Program. All opinions within this review are my own.

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