Review: All Manner of Things
All Manner of Things
Susie Finkbeiner
Synopsis: Annie’s father has been missing from her life since she was a small child. But when her older brother, Mike, is deployed overseas to serve in Vietnam, the opportunity for a family to reunite it presented. Despite the fear and uncertainty that surrounds them, the family must pull together and hold onto the hope that all manner of things will be well.
Every time I pick up a Susie Finkbeiner novel, I feel a strange combination of trepidation and excitement. I know that what I’m about to read is going to make me feel ALL of the feelings, and I’m going to love every minute of it.
I don’t know that I have encountered a single author yet who writes with the kind of heart and soul that Ms. Finkbeiner does; no one that writes emotion quite like she does. Whatever her characters feel, you feel. This one is no exception.
All Manner of Things is, at it’s core, a story about family, forgiveness, and coming together in times of trial. It’s a lesson in holding onto hope, and living with fear. It’s a simple story yet deeply relatable, and timeless. Annie may live in the 60’s, but the story could just as easily have taken place today. I have no doubt that countless readers could find themselves portrayed in this book, through one character or another. Finkbeiner has done an excellent job of developing them, and showing their growth throughout the story. There are no one dimensional characters here.
The best way I can think to describe All Manner of Things is “Sweet”. This is not a heavy or hard hitting novel. It’s not filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing. But that’s also what makes it great. It’s a story that comes from the heart. It has exactly what it needs to make you want to keep reading. It has purpose. It has love, hope, and faith.
Reading All Manner of Things is like listening to your grandma telling you about the time her brother went to war. You just want to know more. Even if you never met the people she’s talking about, you still want to know what happened to them.
So grab a cup of tea, a warm blanket, and maybe a couple of tissues, and snuggle in, because once you dive into All Manner of Things, you’re going to want to stick around for a while.