A 2020 Michigan Notable Book

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"Some books are meant to be read. All Manner of Things is meant to be lived in."--Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of Between Two Shores


After Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he mails her 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. 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 will 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.


"Susie Finkbeiner has created characters so real in All Manner of Things, you may want to write them a letter to find out how they are doing once you've turned the last page of the book. Definitely a story and characters you will remember."--Ann H. Gabhart, bestselling author of River to Redemption

"With intimacy, a poetic voice, and an ever-present grip on hope, Finkbeiner writes with breathtaking admiration for the common American family in the throes of unbearable circumstances. Beautiful. Honest. Artfully written. A winning novel."--Elizabeth Byler Younts, author of The Solace of Water

"Finkbeiner's characters believably navigate the emotional upheaval of war, and she skillfully depicts how the Jacobson's slowly open up to one another, emerging with greater strength, faith, and mutual respect."--Publishers Weekly

"The small-town experience and connect readers deeply to characters who cry, cringe, and are, ultimately, able to rest assured that all will be well."--Booklist, starred review

"Susie Finkbeiner's new novel captures that fraught time with beauty and gentleness. . . . A beautiful, arresting novel."--The Banner

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home. She serves on the Breathe Christian Writers Conference planning committee, volunteers her time at Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and speaks at retreats and women's events across the state. Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.