Set in Appalachia and the Midwest at the turn of the twentieth century
and inspired by the author's family lore, this exquisite novel paints an
intimately rendered portrait of one resilient farm family's challenges
and hard-won triumphs--helmed by an unforgettable heroine.
Growing up on their hardscrabble farm in rural Kentucky,
fifteen-year-old Albertina "Bertie" Winslow has learned a lot from her
mama, Polly. She knows how to lance a boil, make a pie crust, butcher a
pig, and tend to every chore that needs doing. What she doesn't know,
but is forced to reckon with all too soon, is how to look after children
as a mother should...
When Polly succumbs to a long illness, Bertie takes on responsibility
for her four younger siblings and their dissolute, unreliable daddy. Yet
no matter how hard she tries to hold the family together; the task is
overwhelming. Nine-year-old Dacia, especially, is resentful and
stubborn, hinting at secrets in their mama's life. Finally, Bertie makes
the only choice she can--breaking up the family for its own survival,
keeping the girls with her, sending the boys off to their grown
brothers, long gone from home.
Ever pragmatic, Bertie marries young, grateful to find a husband willing
to take on the care of her sisters, and eventually moves to the oil
fields of Kansas. But marriage alone cannot resolve the grief and guilt
she carries over a long-ago tragedy, or prepare her for the heartaches
still to come. Only by confronting wrenching truths can she open herself
to joy--and learn how to not only give, but receive, unfettered love.
Inspired by stories told by the author's mother and aunts, All the
Forgivenesses is as authentic as it is lyrical--a captivating novel of
family loyalty, redemption, and resilience.
