All the pretty things: a life story

     In All the Pretty Things, Edie Wadsworth narrates her life story coupled with moments of self-reflection and insights that can only be gained in retrospect.  Growing up in the Appalachian area to a father who loved her (but was governed by the bottle more) and to a mother who tried her best to raise her as a single parent struggling to make ends meet, Edie saw more things in her early years than a child should.

She desperately longed for her father's love, even as she had to take charge to cover for him as he waged a war with alcohol.  Through out her life, father type figures crossed her path and showed her another way of life. Through the example of these men and many others, Edie came to know the only Father who will never leave you.

The rest of the story is an account of Edie's struggle to stop fighting against her upbringing, and striving for this illusion of 'normal', and instead to allow her Heavenly Father to redeem her broken places and make her whole again.

While this book was not one of my favorites due to the genre and generally sad (but true to life) events, Edie masterfully combined facts and personal reflections.  I also enjoyed her redemptive ending and appreciated her honesty.  I received this book as part of the blogger review program through Tyndale House Publishers Inc., however the views expressed in this review are mine.