This I Know: A Novel

Author: Eldonna Edwards

Publisher: Kensington Press Books

Publication Date (Paperback): 04.30.2019

Genre: Literature & Fiction > Literary > Coming of Age > Historical

Page Count: 336 Pages

ISBN-9781496712875

Paperback Available for Pre-Order From IndieBound, Barnes & Nobel, Amazon, Kensington Books, Thriftbooks, Books-A-Million, Hudson Booksellers

Hardback, Audio CD, Audiobook and Kindle editions are available for purchase now. NO WAITING.

Read 5 STAR Review of May 05, 2018

Author Bio (From the Author’s Website):

Eldonna Edwards is a beloved writing instructor, keynote speaker, and former creative journaling facilitator, who grew up in a large family nestled between cornfields and churches in the provincial Midwest, an upbringing that provided a fertile background from which to harvest setting and characters. The voice in her best-selling debut novel THIS I KNOW comes straight from the heart. This I Know, won over the hearts and minds of readers everywhere and was a Delilah Book Club selection. In her second novel, CLOVER BLUE (June 2019) Eldonna once again explores themes of otherness and belonging and the true definition of home. She is also the subject of the award-winning documentary “Perfect Strangers” that follows one kidney patient and one potential kidney donor in their search for a possible match. Her memoir LOST IN TRANSPLANTATION also chronicles this life-changing decision. Eldonna eventually escaped the harsh winters, moving to California. She currently lives and writes in a tiny pink house with her best friend, Brer.

Eldonna is drawn to stories about community–the places we live, the families we’re born into, and the tribes we gravitate toward. She prefers hometown settings peopled with recognizable characters from the grocery store, a neighborhood cafe or noisy schoolyard. Her books explore the bigger questions of one’s meaning and purpose, and the overlapping consequences of our choices, good and bad. Eldonna integrates humor into her stories to balance the complex and sometimes darker aspects of challenging situations. She currently lives on the central California coast with her long-term partner Brer and beloved 4-legged companion Bella.

Eldonna is available as a keynote speaker and/or breakout session facilitator on the topics of organ donation, writing memoir & fiction or screenings of the documentary, Perfect Strangers.  Click on the contact button above to inquire about fees and available dates for your church, workplace, conference or organization. For press or publicity inquiries about her novels, please contact Claire Anderson-Wheeler of Regal Hoffman & Assoc.

Book Description (From the Author’s Website):

Set in a small Midwest town in the late 1960s and helmed by an unforgettable young protagonist—compassionate, uncannily wise Grace—This I Know is a luminous coming-of-age story from an astonishing new voice.

Eleven-year-old Grace Carter has a talent for hiding things. She’s had plenty of practice, burying thoughts and feelings that might anger her strict Evangelical pastor father, and concealing the deep intuition she carries inside. The Knowing, as Grace calls it, offers glimpses of people’s pasts and futures. It enables her to see into the depth of her mother’s sadness, and even allows Grace to talk to Isaac, her twin brother who died at birth. To her wise, loving Aunt Pearl, the Knowing is a family gift; to her daddy, it’s close to witchcraft.

Grace can’t see into someone’s thoughts without their permission. But it doesn’t take her special talent to know that her small community is harboring its share of secrets. A young girl has gone missing. Within Grace’s own family too, the cracks are widening, as her sisters, Hope, Joy, and Chastity enjoy the normal life that eludes Grace. It’s Grace’s kinship with other outsiders that keeps her afloat—Lyle, a gentle, homeless man, and Lola, a free-spirited new girl at school. But when her mother lapses into a deep depression after bringing home a new baby, Grace will face a life-changing choice—ignore her gift and become the obedient daughter her father demands, or find the courage to make herself heard, even if it means standing apart . . .

If you have not yet read This I Know, I beseech you to do so. I can tell you, and most of you know that I write for the reader and not the author, you will covet this book for years to come. And as a debut novel, you can’t get any better than This I Know.

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I would be remiss if I did not let you know that Edwards’ has another novel debuting 05.28.2019 titled CLOVER BLUE, which is every bit as mesmerizing as This I Know. Some have said CLOVER BLUE is better than This I Know; however, I cannot pick one as better than the other. Both novels speak to different times, different characters, and are written using different POVs. This alone speaks to Edwards’ second to none talent as a writer. She took a chance writing from a different POV which showcased her talent as a versatile author. Edwards’ ability to write, not one but two 5 STAR novels using different POVs is deserving of acknowledgment and in my mind, moves her up to the top tier authors of today. Although, you would never here Eldonna Edwards agreeing with me as she is a humble soul. You can read my review of CLOVER BLUE from 02.03.2019 here.

Book Description (From the Author’s Website):

Set against the backdrop of a 1970s commune in Northern California, Clover Blue is a compelling, beautifully written story of a young boy’s search for identity.

There are many things twelve-year-old Clover Blue isn’t sure of: his exact date of birth, his name before he was adopted into the Saffron Freedom Community, or who his first parents were. What he does know with certainty is that among this close-knit, nature-loving group, he is happy. Here, everyone is family, regardless of their disparate backgrounds—surfer, midwife, Grateful Dead groupie, Vietnam deserter. But despite his loyalty to the commune and its guru-like founder Goji, Blue grapples with invisible ties toward another family—the one he doesn’t remember.

With the urging of his fearless and funny best friend, Harmony, Clover Blue begins to ask questions. For the first time, Goji’s answers fail to satisfy. The passing months bring upheaval to their little clan and another member arrives, a beautiful runaway teen named Rain, sparking new tensions. As secrets slowly unfurl, Blue’s beliefs—about Goji, the guidelines that govern their seemingly idyllic lives, and the nature of family itself—begin to shift. With each revelation about a heartbreaking past he never imagined, Blue faces a choice between those he’s always trusted, and an uncertain future where he must risk everything in his quest for the truth.

Part coming-of-age tale, part love story, part mystery, Clover Blue tenderly explores an unconventional but no less complex family that resonates with our deep-rooted yearning for home.

CLOVER BLUE: A Novel will be available for purchase 05.28.2019 but is available for pre-order from Barnes & Noble, Hudson Booksellers, Amazon,  Books-A-Million, IndieBound, Walmart, et cetera. Pre-order the ePub edition from Amazon (Kindle), Apple, Google, Kobo, and Nook. So, don’t wait, get ahead of the pack and order both of Eldonna Edwards’ novels today.

And, oh, by the way, Eldonna Edwards is currently working on her third novel and this should tell you that she is going to be around, at the top of what I refer to as the “A-Lister Authors List.” She’s not slowing down, if anything, she’s ramping it up. CLOVER BLUE is another book you will want to read again, and for the baby boomers out there, you just may find that you relate more to CLOVER BLUE than you know.