When Annie Jacobson’s brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know. In Mike’s absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward … toward healing and pray fervently for Mike’s safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.
Author Susie Finkbeiner invites you into the Jacobson family’s home and hearts during a time in which the chaos of the outside world touched their small community in ways they never imagined.
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I’m not good at this and I am always worried that I won’t do a wonderful book justice but here goes from my heart.
I love that moment when I read the title in the book! All Manner Of Things shall be well. This story touched my heart. My uncle fought and was wounded in the Vietnam War. I would write him letters as a young girl in the fourth and fifth grade so this story brought it home for me. The courage that each of these family members had will build your courage. Take one day at a time and have hope that all will be well. I love the way Mrs Susie Finkbeiner writes because I get drawn into the story right from the start. Not a lot of romance if your looking for that but oh so much deeper than that. The author brought in race for a couple and the trouble it causes among some people. Then a deep love and hope for two people that thought they didn’t have any love left. I loved the way Mike and Annie wrote to each other and the way they showed their love through letters. Faith, courage and perseverance brought the family through tragedy and everyday trials. A quote I loved “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” I truly felt this story and it will definitely be one of my favorites for this year.
I received this book from the publisher/author and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions stated are my own.
All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner is an amazing story–a story of Annie and her family, a family that has captivated this reader’s heart and will not easily be forgotten. Having read several of this author’s books I was eager to dig into this one and was not disappointed. At first, I wondered if she was writing my story…an older teen in 1967, small-town Michigan, Anne(ie)…then the author described Annie as one with a startinglingly beautiful soul and my bubble burst! Seriously though, this was a fascinating book in which the author tackles the gritty subjects of the Viet Nam war, shell shock/PTSD, abandonment, grief, and a touch on the issue of racism and does it well. The richness of the characters and their emotions is genuine and deeply moving, resonating within the reader. Bernie, Annie’s boss, and third cousin, plays the part of a grumpy old man to a T and yet is compassionate and wise; Frank, Annie’s daddy, quiet, sullen, charming, complicated–a man who loves his family and finally realizes what he had missed over the years since he left; Jocelyn, her dearest friend–I loved how their houses were so close they could chat through the screens and each of the other characters (even the ‘stinker’ character, Aunt Rose) bring so much into the story. Readers will get caught up in the lives of these characters and their stories. The author has captured well the setting and era of All Manner of Things as she has expertly written the distinctive dialogue and descriptive scenes of the book. I enjoyed her use of personal letters scattered throughout the book to share the hearts of the writers with those they love. The author has so many pithy sayings…’Don’t duck and cover. Keep your eyes open’; ‘You can’t live your life afraid of what might happen’; because we are made for eternity, even in death we still are…were some that I really liked. Poignant and intense, this character-driven story takes the reader into the heart and soul of a family and the small town community they were enveloped in, as they deal with the horrors, the searing pain, the sorrows, and the unknowns of a war that seemed to make no sense to many. Don’t miss the chance to fall in love with the Jacobson family, a family who just wanted to be normal, a family with a history of running away and yet a family tied together by strong, unbreakable bonds.
I received a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
A well written story with incredibly well developed characters. The timeline being that of Vietnam made it fascinating as that’s not a common backdrop for a fiction novel. For me, this story was definitely driven by its characters…by the end of the novel, you feel a part of the family…the depth of the characters so real, genuine, and engaging.
First of all, I know people who read my reviews will want to know that words such as “Golly,” “Gosh,” and similar words are used frequently throughout the story. I’m guessing these words were common during this time, but they aren’t words I use. I know some readers of my reviews don’t use them either so I wanted to make sure I mentioned that. No, there are no swear words or bad scenes…other than what is mentioned. It’s a completely clean novel with a minor faith thread that starts about half way through the story. It’s a natural progression of the story and done quite well.
The first words that comes to mind in regards to this story is it’s Americana. It’s the story of an American family and community. Their tragedies and triumphs, the difficulties of coming of age, the burdensome problems of aging, the troubling ebb and flow of relationships…a well written drama full of life..real life. It reminds me much of Chris Fabry’s stories. Taking a piece of time, placing in it characters to love, and giving a tale of how lives are intertwined and how the dynamics of family play out. It’s a bittersweet story that could be similar to your neighbors. Nothing flashy, nothing suspenseful..life in all its beauty and heartbreak.
It’s a winsome story that will touch your heart because of its veracity and endearing characters.
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
A read that feels like I sitting a talking with friends, a page-turner for sure, and a hard time for this family, friends and country.
I loved the touch on the Dutch heritage, my husband’s family came to this country with a land grant from the King of Holland, but sadly the heritage has long been lost.
I grew up during this time, and the book slams me with reminders, and what was happening during this time, and the losses.
This is a book to savor, while I could have finished it quickly, I refused to do so and read it more slowly than usual. Yes, I loved this one!
A reminder of a past time, with the horror of war, but with the touch of everyday life, and family.
I received this book through LibraryThing, and was not required to give a positive review.
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”
– Dame Julian of Norwich, a 14th-15th century mystic
Some stories entertain, some stories thrill, and some stories inspire. A few stories, however, go beyond and transport unsuspecting readers to another time and place. I expected to be transported, to an extent. I have read Susie Finkbeiner’s previous “coming-of-age” series, which follows its protagonist, Pearl Spence, and her family from the dustbowl in Oklahoma to rural Michigan during the 1930s. I was quite aware that Ms. Finkbeiner has a knack for transporting readers and weaving tales which explore the small moments which make up the joys and tragedies of the shared human experience. I just wasn’t quite expecting the extent to which this story would grab me by the throat.
Y’all, I didn’t expect to connect to this book. I don’t remember the Vietnam era or the ’60s. I do know some of the music, since my mother made sure I had a thorough childhood indoctrination in the music of the ’50s and ’60s, but bell bottoms, peace signs, and tie dye just aren’t my jam. I’m not groovy. I often tend to casually dismiss contemporary fiction set in this era, preferring to take my fictional book-trips to more exotic times and places. When I initially read the synopsis for this novel several months ago and saw the cover design, I was (I hate to admit it!) underwhelmed. Meh. Since I loved Susie Finkbeiner’s previous series, however, and I was low on reading material, I decided to request an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I am happy to admit that my initial impression was WRONG.
Annie Jacobson has few memories of her father, a Korean War veteran, who disappeared from his family’s life one summer morning, years after returning from a conflict which followed him home. Her younger brother, Joel, doesn’t remember Frank at all. Gloria, their hard-working single mother, has singlehandedly provided for the family’s needs, but she can’t afford to send Annie or Mike, Annie’s elder brother, to college. Annie is stuck waitressing in her cousin’s diner while her best friend heads to college. Because he isn’t a student, Mike isn’t eligible for a draft deferment. When Mike announces that he has enlisted in the Army rather than waiting for his number to be called, the close-knit Jacobson family is deeply grieved. He maintains a correspondence with his family during his basic training, advanced training as a combat medic, and subsequent deployment. Annie struggles to maintain a semblance of a normal life while navigating both the ordinary challenges of young adulthood and the extraordinary challenges of living in an era of wartime abroad while a thinning veneer of peace rules at home.
This book grabbed me from the outset. There were momentary, fleeting connections due to references to familiar places: Lake Michigan (although I am familiar with the opposite shoreline) and Taylor University, my alma mater, feature brief cameo appearances in the Midwestern setting. Like Annie, I have heard the haunting cries of loons, hung my bare feet over the edge of a dock and watched the sun sparkle off the facets of rippling water, and floated adrift on glassy Northern lakes which mirror the wooded shoreline. While the setting blurred the lines between fiction and fact, Ms. Finkbeiner’s true triumph is the characters. This story no doubt resonated deeply with me partly because of my experience as an Army wife. I know what it’s like to send part of your heart to the other side of the world. I understand the tension of living in a state of uncertainty while maintaining what passes for a normal life, for the sake of those whom we love. I spent the better part of a year glancing out my kitchen window every morning to ensure that an unfamiliar vehicle with government tags wasn’t parked on our cul-de-sac, because as a chaplain’s wife, I was all too familiar with the casualty notification process. As a chaplain’s wife, I have also had a front row seat to the challenges veterans face during both deployment and ‘reintegration.’ While homecoming is a sweet reunion, it also requires a re-merging of lives which may have diverged due to time apart and the trauma of war. During our time in San Antonio, my husband worked with wounded warriors, and I helped lead worship in a chapel service which was attended by many combat medics in training. Because we are intimately acquainted with maintaining balance amidst these shifting sands, an inexplicable camaraderie exists among military families, which apparently extends even to particularly well-written fictional ones.
After the first paragraph grabbed me by the throat, I whizzed through this book in under 24 hours. I’m not going to lie. It wasn’t because I found every thread woven through the story pleasant. In fact, some strands were distinctly unpleasant, but they were important pieces of the whole tapestry, which was breathtaking and beautiful. You see, some stories tread closely – sometimes too closely – upon the edges of our real lives, exposing forgotten fears and hidden grief, reminding us of scars we bear or the scars of those whom we have loved. This story took me beyond the edge of fiction. For a moment, I shared a space between fantasy and reality with a young woman who only exists in the pages of a book. She is part of a sisterhood I know well. We have shared one another’s fears, wiped one another’s tears, cared for one another’s families, and prayed desperately for one another’s loved one to return home, safe and sound. I don’t want to spoil the book for you, but I will simply say that the climax and denouement left my heart in my throat and tears streaming down my cheeks. It wasn’t quite an ugly cry, but it was the first book in a long time which truly made me cry. Friends, this isn’t a beach read or a playful, escapist romp. “Read it with a box of tissues,” as Meg Ryan’s character says in You’ve Got Mail. The Jacobson family’s story will invite you to temporarily inhabit a small universe of joys and sorrows. Fair warning: it may hit too close to home right now for my sweet sisters who have currently sent part of their hearts to the other side of the world.
I can only hope that, like Susie Finkbeiner’s previous character Pearl Spence, Annie Jacobson’s journey isn’t complete after the first installment of her story. While All Manner of Things could be a stand-alone tale, it leaves a tender ache which longs for continued restoration and renewal, recognizing that once some chapters have been written, ‘happily ever after’ cannot look the same as readers may have initially expected. All Manner of Things was an incredible journey into that realm somewhere between fact and fiction. I find myself longing to sit beside Annie on the dock overlooking Old Chip as the sun slowly rises over the misty tree-lined shores, listening to the cry of a loon and allowing a few tears to fall as we contemplate the ageless wisdom of the promise that our Father will trade ashes for beauty.
“…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
– Isaiah 61:3
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Susie Finkbeiner’s book, All Manner of Things, took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. It pulled me right back into my growing up years. I was roughly the same age as the heroine Annie Jacobson during the 1960s and remember well the less complicated times, as well as the angst of the Vietnam War. I knew men (boys, really) who were being drafted and others who were enlisting because their draft numbers were at the top of the list. I knew men who died while serving their countries—ones who I had been going to high school and college with not that long before.
Finkbeiner is a master at taking a slice of history and making it come alive on the page. Her knowledge of the subject matter is evident on every page, and her writing is emotional and honest. The characters are multi-layered and realistic, and I could easily relate to them. Powerful themes of the importance of family, pushing through our fears, and keeping on when the way is hard, add an inspirational dimension to the story.
I thought the addition of letters written to and from different characters in the story was a stroke of genius. They gave an extra insight into the thoughts of the different people. This novel occupies a special place in my heart and will definitely be in my top reads of the year. It’s one for the keeper shelf! Warning: you might want to keep a box of tissue handy while reading this book!
All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner will fill your heart and touch your soul. As a child born in the 60’s; my memories of this era play in my mind through rose colored glasses. I have many happy memories and only a vague recollection of the war and the news of the war. Not many novels are set during this era making this an extra special book! Growing up in a small Michigan town near lake Michigan made it such fun reading about a fictional Michigan town near the lake. I was brought back to the 60’s through the mention of songs, TV shows, foods, saying and phrases that were popular, styles described in the book and more, how fun! But this book is so much more than “Fun”! This is an important story to read. It is also, at times, a difficult story to read. I kept thinking about all those who served in this war, all their families. I kept imagining that this fictional story was indeed a reality for so many! This is an important story to read. It is a story of great joy, great courage, great hope, great faith, and ultimately the happiness that comes from knowing and living in that Faith
A Brilliant Piece of Fiction
“Sometimes he feels so far, as if to never reach us. We call for him, we beg him to come . . . Then we see his power on display and remember, he has gone nowhere.”
Annie Jacobson has experienced a lot of “leaving” in her eighteen years. First, her father and now her older brother. Volunteering for service to his country, Mike Jacobson begins the path that is destined to place him at the very epicenter of the Vietnam War. In the meantime, back at home, Annie’s world tilts dangerously to the side when her estranged father rejoins what remains of his family, re-opening old wounds in a manner that brings both hope and heartache.
Using letters to form conversations that might otherwise have never been spoken, this family digs deep to believe that “all will be well”. It’s a story that begs to be told, and this author proves to be the perfect story teller.
“Live today and then tomorrow, and then the next day . . . . . Don’t duck and cover.”
I received a digital copy of this book from Net Galley as well as a print copy from the author and publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.
This novel brought me back to my 18th year in 1967. Annie could have been the girl next door, someone I once knew. It was a fear filled time with our young men being drafted and enlisting in order to fight the war in Vietnam. Families were closely knit, but not without their problems and heartache.
Annie’s story takes place in West Michigan, a place I call home. Her Dutch heritage mimics my own, and the setting is familiar and filled with the conservatism of the Dutch that emigrated in great numbers to the area. Memories from the time period and the locale produced considerable nostalgia as I read the details of the Jacobson family and the obstacles they faced. A detailed and poignant depiction of the life and time brought me to tears on several occasions, but the love of family wrapped me in a warm blanket.
This author has a gift for developing a setting and characters that reflect life in its fundamental form, without sugarcoating our basic humanity. Social issues are broached with candor and sensitivity. There is a depth of reality in her books that touches the heart, and the author’s faith is woven throughout her characters’ lives. I have read all of Finkbeiner’s novels twice, and will reread All Manner of Things again as well. I highly recommend this heartrending tale of life as I remember it from my own experiences!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All expressed opinions are my own.
This book was so real, i sat crying into my coffee. Very well written, it took me back to those years.
Oh, my…my heart is full.
Susie Finkbeiner has penned a beautiful story of family and the love we share in the many relationships we hold in life. That of a child, sibling, spouse or friend. This is a story of how we care for each other through the hardships life brings and how we should treasure the sweet every day moments as memories are being created to last a lifetime. It is also a story of relying on our faith in God, that He knows of our suffering and promises that all will be well. This emotionally charged tale belongs on the keeper shelf, to be revisited again and again.
A few of my favorite quotes:
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”
“Just remember, there’s a light in the darkness. The darkness cannot understand it. But that light isn’t for the darkness, It’s for you. It’s so you can find your way home.”
“I believed that, as Oma said, we were meant for eternity. That life on this side was a prelude to the real life ahead of us. At least that is what I hoped for.”
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
This book is full of fabulous flawed characters you WILL grow to love, a time full of volatility and change, loss, comfort, angst, tragedy and, when you most need it, hope. Annie Jacobsen is so real to me, and all those she dealt with throughout this deep, real, heart-wrenching story of a family in Michigan in 1967 are not leaving me for a VERY long time. A microcosm of much of the volatility of that time, told in a very personal way, and with a hope so often missing in the midst of difficult and changing times. If you are looking for a light, sweet read, this ISN’T it – but if you want to live the authentic life of this time and place, I can’t recommend All Manner of Things more highly.