All the Forgivenesses
  • Published: 21 December 2020
  • ISBN: 9781496720450
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 368
  • RRP: $35.00

All the Forgivenesses

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Perfect for readers of Demon Copperhead and inspired by the author's own family lore, this exquisite novel paints an intimately rendered portrait of one resilient family's challenges and triumphs—helmed by an unforgettable heroine—in Appalachia and the Midwest during the turn of the 20th century.

Perfect for readers of Demon Copperhead and inspired by the author's own family lore, this exquisite novel paints an intimately rendered portrait of one resilient family's challenges and triumphs—helmed by an unforgettable heroine—in Appalachia and the Midwest during the turn of the 20th century.

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.
  • Published: 21 December 2020
  • ISBN: 9781496720450
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 368
  • RRP: $35.00
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Praise for All the Forgivenesses

Praise for All the Forgivenesses

"This emotional story of deep hardship is told in Bertie's distinct voice and is recommended for readers who enjoyed Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell and Jane Hamilton's The Book of Ruth." --Library Journal

"A strong protagonist is at the center of Hardinger's debut, an early-1900s tale of a resolute girl in a Midwestern family that's burdened with hardship...The characters in this story are vividly portrayed, with nuanced, complex personalities. The resilience and strength of the narrator will stay with readers long after they've finished." --Publishers Weekly

"A wrenching read...this book stayed with me for a long time because it so vividly brings to life how poverty and lack of choice so profoundly affect a person." --Historical Novels Review

"The author pulls no punches detailing the hardships of life on a Kansas farm at the turn of the twentieth century. Bertie is a classic Midwesterner: tough, stubborn, and resilient. What starts out as a tale of hardscrabble historical fiction turns into an uplifting story of forgiveness and grace, and would be a good crossover for Christian fiction readers." --Booklist

"Not since Daniel Woodrell's Winter's Bone and Bonnie Jo Campbell's Once Upon a River have I met such an original, strongyoung woman, full of resourcefulness, passion, and courage, dedicated to saving her family no matter the personal sacrifice. This is an extraordinary, unforgettable novel, with a haunting voice that follows you into your dreams at night. Elizabeth Hardinger carves the geography of the human heart and teaches us the lessons of the forgiveness and the redemption that is possible for those of us strong enough to bear the burden and gift of love." --Jonis Agee, award-winning author of The River Wife and The Bones of Paradise


"Elizabeth Hardinger has given us a heroine for the ages. In the face of unimaginable hardship, where survival is the only thing that matters, she learns strength and courage, and discovers joy in unexpected places. Her voice is strong and authentic and unforgettable. Equal parts tender and brutal, All the Forgivenesses is a rich, exquisite novel." --Alex George, author of A Good American

"It won't take a page to know this is an abiding story told in an utterly captivating voice. I fell into this novel in a way I've only experienced when reading Kaye Gibbons, Louise Erdrich, Dorothy Allison, and Alice Walker. The sense of place and time, of family, guilt, grief, and love are so richly layered, reading All the Forgivenesses is mesmerizing. No one writes like Hardinger. Thank goodness she does." --Sandra Scofield, National Book Award finalist for Beyond Deserving

"Composed with unassuming wisdom and grace, All the Forgivenesses is an exhilarating testament to the human spirit. You'll fall in love with the remarkable Bertie, whose unwavering loyalty to family delivers her a life rich with meaning and hard-won transcendence. A captivating debut by an exciting new voice in fiction." --Wayne Harrison, author of The Spark and the Drive

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