The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery By Amanda Cox

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery

by Amanda Cox

Publisher: Revell

ISBN: 9780800737412

After reading Amanda Cox's debut novel last year, I knew that I was going to want to read every single one of her books in the future. To find out I was going to be able to read an ARC of her second book, I was thrilled! She sent me her book for review.

Summary:

Present Day. Sarah Ashby returns to her childhood home, determined to finally follow her dream of running the family business alongside her mother and grandmother. So when her mother, Rosemary, announces to her that Old Depot Grocery is closing, Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann, make a plan to save the store. But Rosemary has worked her entire life to make sure her daughter never follows in her footsteps. She has her reasons--but she'll certainly never reveal the real one.

1965. Glory Ann confesses to her family that she's pregnant with her deceased fiancé's baby. Pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper to preserve her family's reputation, Glory Ann vows never to love again. But some promises are not as easily kept as she imagined.

This dual-time story from Amanda Cox deftly explores the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship, the way the secrets we keep shape our lives and the lives of others, and the healing power of telling the truth.

My Review:

Once again another wonderful story from this author! I loved getting to know Glory Ann, Rosemary, and Sarah in The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery!

Mother-daughter relationships can be incredibly difficult, especially if there are secrets involved. This story has 3 women with 3 different secrets and a whole lot of hurt. In a sense, it reminded me of generational sin and that there is a power to break it.

I could easily see myself like Rosemary in the sense that I parented like her to a degree. I didn't want my kids to make the same mistakes I did as a young person. That, of course, doesn't always come with the desired effect. As with all three ladies, it can come with a significant amount of relationship damage.

It was fascinating going back to the 60s, knowing the time period, and seeing the domino effect of a single choice that's made. Trying to put ourselves in others shoes isn't always the easiest thing to do. As we watch life unfold from this choice, it was incredible to see how God used it for His good.

I wish we had more stories like this out in the wild. Reading about women working through their hurts, making a decision to break cycles is such a powerful thing! Seeing how God can restore relationships gives a lot of hope as in the case of these incredible, strong women.

About the Author:

Amanda Cox is the author of The Edge of Belonging. A blogger and a curriculum developer for a national nonprofit youth leadership organization, she holds a bachelor's degree in Bible and theology and a master's degree in professional counseling, but her first love is communicating through story. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children. Learn more at AmandaCoxWrites.com.