By The Book

Where The Blue Sky Begins is the first book I’ve read by Katie Powner, but it will not be the last! Probably the best book I have read all year, this general fiction novel touched my heart in so many ways. And I laughed and cried and laughed again. It is wonderful. Read. It!

Sometimes the hardest road of all is the road home.

When confident and handsome Eric Larson is sent to a rural Montana town to work in the local branch of his uncle’s financial company, he’s determined to exceed everyone’s expectations, earn a promotion, and be back in Seattle by the end of summer. Yet nothing could prepare him for the lessons this small town has in store.

At forty-six years old, eccentric and outspoken Eunice Parker has come to accept her terminal illness and has given herself one final goal: seek forgiveness from everyone on her bucket list before her time runs out. But it will take more courage than she can muster on her own.

After an accident pushes Eric and Eunice together, the unlikely pair is forced to spend more time with each other than either would like, which challenges their deepest prejudices and beliefs. As summer draws to a close, neither Eric nor Eunice is where they thought they would be, but they both wrestle with the same important question: What matters most when the end is near?

Katie Powner is an award-winning author who lives in Montana, where cows still outnumber people. She writes contemporary fiction about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home. Katie is a mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster) who believes every child deserves a loving family. Visit http://www.katiepowner.com.

My Impressions:

Oh. My. Goodness! There are so many words to express just how good Where The Blue Sky Begins by Katie Powner is. But of course, this is one review where I will struggle to get them all out. Here are a few — beautifully written and plotted, quirky characters you will love, a setting that feels like home, and a message that resonated deep in my heart. This general fiction offering is probably the best book I have read all year!

Eric Larson is sent by his uncle to a small Montana town to work in his company’s local financial services business. Eric, bless his heart, believes he has it all to make the office successful and to win his position on the 10th floor of the corporate headquarters. Eunice ( pronounced You-Niece and that’s important) is the next door neighbor who blackmails him into driving her to make peace with those she believes she has wronged. Eric believes he is doing the eccentric woman a favor, but Eunice is who helps shape him into the man he becomes by the book’s end. Along the way there’s a crazy chicken, some wise home health nurses, an octogenarian receptionist, some clients in need of financial help, and a thrift store owner that impart important lessons to both Eric and Eunice. This book made me laugh and laugh and then cry and then laugh again. Powner creates a wonderful balance between life’s joys, absurdities, and grief. It is wise and deeply moving. And I regretted turning the last page.

Where The Blue Sky Begins will be on my best of 2022 list, and will be on yours as well as soon as you read it. 😉 What are you waiting for?

Very Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Tags: general fiction, Katie Powner