Review: ‘The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery’ By Amanda Cox

Present Day. After tragedy plunges her into grief and unresolved anger, Sarah Ashby returns to her childhood home determined to finally follow her long-denied dream of running Old Depot Grocery alongside her mother and grandmother. But when she arrives, her mother, Rosemary, announces to her that the store is closing. Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann, make a pact 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 the family reputation, Glory Ann vows never to love again. But some promises are not as easily kept as she imagined.

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

About Amanda Cox
Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, Amanda Cox spent her time counseling children, families, and individuals through life’s challenging moments. Now she uses those same skills to develop layered characters and stories, bringing them on a journey of hope and healing. A journey she hopes her readers experience in their own lives as they read.

A few of her favorite things are the sanctuary of the great outdoors, the feeling of pen on paper, the sound of her children’s laughter, and exploring new places with her husband of 15 years. (Oh, let’s not forget good fiction and good coffee. She’s addicted to both.) You can stay connected with her latest writing updates at http://www.amandacoxwrites.com. You can find her on social media by searching Amanda Cox Writes

To get a free short story featuring characters from The Edge of Belonging visit: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/fuj7mlfd83
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‘It’s the things we don’t say that have the power to rule our lives without our permission.’

When I read Amanda Cox’s debut novel last year, I thought it was astounding! She was a great new voice in Christian fiction and I made sure to keep an eye out for her next offering. I was not disappointed at all in her sophomore effort.

Told over the span of sixty years, the story comes alive in Cox’s pen. Three women in a family feature prominently here as Cox brings them to life vividly. Each has their own cross to bear and have born them for many years. We see their pain, joy, secrets as they deal with the life they’ve lived. Indeed, we feel their pain as Cox fleshes them out fully for us to see.

‘It was a double-edged sword, this life of hers. Loving the blessings she had, sometimes still aching for what couldn’t be.’

This book explores powerfully the mother/daughter relationship and the importance of keeping lines of communication open, and the detrimental effects of secrets kept. Certainly one for the keeper shelf. Amanda Cox knows her craft well.

My thanks to Revell Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. I was not expected to leave a positive review . The opinion here is expressly my own.