Litfuse Blog Tour Event: To Know You by Shannon Ethride and Kathryn Mackel

To Know You is a beautifully woven novel that challenges its readers as the believers and non-believer characters are  challenged in face in the most intense and trying ways.  

Goodreads 

Years ago, Julia Whittaker gave up two daughters for adoption. Now she must find them to try to save the life of her son.
 
Julia and Matt Whittaker’s son was diagnosed with biliary atresia at birth. Dillon has beaten the odds for thirteen years only to have the odds—and his liver—crash precipitously. The only hope for his survival is a transplant. He can receive a “living liver” transplant but neither his parents, nor various family members and friends, are compatible.
 
The transplant list is long and Dillon’s time is short. Very short.
He has two chances for a compatible liver: his two older half-sisters, born eighteen months apart and adopted at birth.
 
But can Julia ask a young woman—someone she surrendered to strangers—to donate a portion of her body to a brother she’s never known? Will either sister even be a match for their half-brother? 

Will either of them show mercy and courage if they are?
 
Julia knows she’s probably on a fool’s errand—reaching out to the daughters she abandoned only now that she needs them. But what other choice does she have except to try. 

My Thoughts 

This book caught me off guard. It was incredibly extreme on multiple levels of discomfort and emotions that I had to take a step back and take a breathe. I was gripped with these characters and their struggles that were all too unique and heartbreaking. I could not stop crying. I could not help by relate. I could not stop reading. This book explores the depths of love and sacrifice in family and how our decisions can affect others around us and not just ourselves.

Ethride and Mackel outdid themselves when they wrote this book. This is not a common story where bio-mom comes and tries to rebuild bridges with the two daughters she gave up for adoption years ago. 

Nope. 

Julia is a woman on her knees who knows that what she is asking of the two young women is completely outrageous. Her son needs a liver and his two half sisters might be the answer to Julia and her husband's fourteen years of prayer. 

The depth of this book is so much more than I could hope to describe on this post. The characters are human. Their sin is ugly. But isn't that the truth of all sin? Not one character is "normal". They're all messed up and complicated and feel unworthy of God. This is real life though. Real life is messy, human and ugly.  

The ending completed this book in a full circle of redemption and forgiveness. The characters will surprise you in their decisions when it comes to the end of this book.

The writing was perfect and I can not wait for the next book in this series to see the development of more of the characters that were just touched on the surface in  Veil of Secrets which will be available July 2014. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 bookshelves 
Disclaimer: I received a free copy for an honest review from Litfuse Publicity Group.
 
 I recommend though that you check out the first novel before so you know exactly what you are getting yourself into! Here is a link to the amazon page for purchase.

To learn more about the authors here are two links to Shannon Ehtide and Kathryn Mackel's websites. Great websites with a lot of info about their other ministries and books.

Litfuse Giveaway Alert! 11/19 

To Know You is Shannon’s debut fiction release, and she’s celebrating by giving away a $100 gift certificate to Lisa Leonard Designs and a personal coaching session, as well as throwing a Facebook Author Chat Party. 

Link to the page for more details! Enter in before it's too late!  

For His Kingdom, 
Taylor Reid