Every Thing You Are

Everything You Are

Kerry Anne King

Lake Union Pub, Oct 1, 2019

331 pages

Women’s Lit, Adult Lit, Contemporary Fiction

Amazon Early Releases

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The cover is lovely and makes me think of the bouquet of flowers that Phee shows up with when all the other flowers are formal funeral arrangements. Her flowers are bright and cheerful. Phee is always a bit different. I like the touch of the marks that are used on either side of the words “a novel” that look like fs. These same markings are found on musical instruments, such as cellos, which play such a major role in the story.

The story is amazing. I realized that it was being released tomorrow and had stopped at 80% last night when I went to bed. So I finished reading it this morning and sat down to write this review immediately. I want this posted before the book is released so you all know just how wonderful this book is. It’s one of those that will make you cry in places and make you want to shake people at times or maybe give them a good swift kick in the butt. Or at least a good talking to.

Phee is the character that the story starts out with and she is the one who holds it all in place until the end when it swings back to her. But the active story seems to really focus on Braden Healey, a gifted cellist with damaged hands, and his 17-year-old daughter, Allie, also a gifted cellist. Braden and his now late wife were estranged for 11 years while he was an alcoholic, amnesiac, and living totally away from all of his family and friends. Allie was taking cello lessons her father was providing funds for while her mother was trying to get her into pre-med school and keep her life strictly regimented. Phee was maintaining the cello as was called for in the life-long contract Braden had signed at the age of ten with Phee’s grandfather. And this is where the magic part comes in…

Yes, I said magic. The cello has a soul which Braden feels when he plays the cello. Phee feels the soul of the cello as well. She was there in the shop the day he signed the contract, and somehow she got caught up in the loop of magic. She has been in love with Braden and his cello ever since. Even for the eleven years when he was among the missing, or unknown, when he was away from the cello not playing. Allie also feels the soul of the cello now that she plays it.

I don’t want to give away any more of this beautiful story of forgiveness and love. I can’t recommend it highly enough for those of you who enjoy such tales. Damaged people helping people, finding forgiveness and finding resolution, finding love. I definitely give this one five stars and highly recommend it. This is an author I’d like to read more of. Thank you, Amazon for offering this book as an Early Release this month.