I enjoyed this story of a newspaper reporter who is wanting a big break! She is not real excited when she is given the assignment of writing the obituary of an elderly lady, Mrs. Kip, who is on Hospice. Mrs. Kip realizes that God has put Aidyn Kelley in her path for a reason. You will enjoy learning about Mrs. Kip's life and her continuing shenanigans. I received a complimentary e-book through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion,

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip is centered on the unlikely encounter between rookie journalist Aidyn Kelley and recently diagnosed hospice patient Clara Kip.

Aidyn pushes too hard with her superiors and is granted the task of writing Mrs. Kip’s obituary, something usually produced by paying families. What Aidyn finds is the story of a lifetime from an unlikely heroine who changed the face of her city.

Sara Brunsvold is establishing herself as a skilled storyteller in her debut novel. Her book pays tribute to an underappreciated group of people who altered the cultural course of America during the difficult post-Vietnam War-era while also being a call-to-arms for Christians; reminding Christians there are opportunities to share God’s love through every moment and every meeting.

For readers of faith and those of no particular religion, it is a reminder that we may encounter any relationship for a limited time so we should maximize our time focusing on supporting and loving one another rather than being a roadblock or tearing someone down.

I easily identified with the character of Aidyn and often look up to Christian “warrior women” such as Mrs. Kip so I immensely enjoyed this book for the lessons in faith as well as the central story. However, I also found it incredibly interesting as it was a well-researched, educational tool for the post-Vietnam War-era immigration in 1970s-80s America.

The book takes place in Kansas City which was home to a growing Laotian population. The author did a beautiful job highlighting the cultural challenges and triumphs of the organizations and individuals who painstakingly broke down walls and prejudice to provide functional training, homes, and rescue missions for the emigrant families.

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip is an overt faith-based book for Christian readers of any age who enjoy stories of friendship, love, and shaping tragedy into hope. Keep the tissues handy.

https://www.mockingowlroost.com/blog/2022/08/19/the-extraordinary-deaths-of-mrs-kip-book-review/

Here is a book deserving much more than 5 stars! How does a book with "death" in the title make you feel that it is delightful? Sara Brunsvold evidently knows how! She does it by making Mrs. Kip such a delightful and amazing character! Mrs. Kip's story in the book begins with her going into a facility, knowing that it is to be her last home on earth. A young reporter, Aidy, is assigned to write about Mrs. Kip. Aidyn has no idea how extraordinary Mrs. Kip actually is and was, but to her surprise, is profoundly affected by Mrs. Kip in a short time. There are several quotes I want to remember from this book. Some of them are to, "Never underestimate the life-changing gift of friendship," "Praise God for his hidden warriors" in different walks of life, " No effort in Jesus' name is ever wasted" and "I want it known that I did my utmost to leave in my wake the love Jesus first gave me." The book used the word "splendid" and that sums up my impression of this book. We would all be better off if we read this book every year.
I even learned a new word, "mottled," as the bluish-purple spots on feet soles, hands and knees which can be seen in the last 24 hours of life.
I was able to read this book from NetGalley, and my thoughts expressed are my own.

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold has such an eye catching cover and an interesting title! I had been seeing it all over social media, where everyone was raving, so I decided to take a chance on this debut author.

I really liked the spunkiness of Mrs. Kip and her positive outlook on life. Her faith was extraordinary even while she was nearing the end of her life. Her life’s goal was to glorify God and help others find Him. If we could all have the same outlook, the world would be a much better place!

I feel the life lessons Clara taught Aidyn will strengthen her faith and have her on the path to being the next Clara Kip! Psalm 16:8 is one of the verses Clara had Aidyn memorize:

“I always let the LORD guide me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

What a great verse to keep in your heart!

I’ve never read a story quite like this one. While I am glad that I took a chance on it, I will say that it’s very sad in some parts and brought me to tears several times. This is one story I won’t soon forget!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. The faith thread is prominent throughout. 4 stars.

This novel was not what it seemed. it was more. The title intrigued me, of course, but the story took me to another time and place. It took me into the life of an unassuming woman who lived an extraordinary life. I loved the inclusion of the young journalist who needed to find her voice. These two transformed each other in such a very short time, but it was beautiful, natural, and realistic.

This book was filled with emotion and growth and the way the story was revealed kept me hooked on the story and turning the page. I read of places I haven't seen but felt as if I were there. What was clear through this book was the impact that one person can make. While this is fiction, it was based on facts and brought to light a place in history I hadn't known before.

This book touched me to the core. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

I received an early copy through the publisher and Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Sometimes I read a book that is just too big to review. Its impact is simply too grand to express with mere words. The ideas, themes, quotes sit so profoundly in my mind and on my heart. The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip is certainly one of those books. It is particularly moving if you have known a Mrs. Kip of your own.

Aidyn Kelly is a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star with dreams and confidence bigger than her britches. To put her in her place, her section editor sends her to interview a little old lady in a hospice house. The grand insult: Aidyn is to write the obituary of one Mrs. Clara Kip. This assignment is a hurdle to be cleared on Aidyn’s climb out of the hole she has dug for herself, but God and Mrs. Kip have other plans. Cancer may try to knock the wind out of Mrs. Kip’s sails; it cannot, however, knock the shenanigans out of the spunky little old lady who is determined to “…love people as best as I could for as long as I was privileged to be with them.” As Aidyn attempts to get to the real story, an agreement is formed: Mrs. Kip will answer three questions for every extraordinary death Aidyn can create for her. But the truly extraordinary deaths of Mrs. Kip do not come from the young reporter’s creative mind and are an exquisite gift wrapped in prose that speaks to the reader on a blessedly intimate level.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

About this book:

“Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care. But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her—but she’s going to have to work for it.”


Series: As of now, no, a stand-alone novel.


Spiritual Content- 2 Peter 1:15 at the end; Many Scriptures are mentioned, read, quoted, & repeated; Bible reading; Many, many prayers, praising, & thanking God; Church going & helping at a mission; Witnessing to others (including Mrs. Kip witnesses to a man and prayers hard for his salvation, there is a scene of him apparently seeing Someone after their witnessing, before his death); Many, many talks about God, His will, trusting Him, & witnessing; ‘H’s are not capitalized when referring to God; All about many, many mentions of God, His will, & trusting Him; In a flashback scene, Mrs. Kip is mad at God and doesn’t understand why He allowed something to happen and in another scene, she thinks that God is a bully (in the next flashback scene, she’s a new Christian); Many mentions of God, witnessing, & His will; Many mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, books of the Bible, those in the Bible, & Scriptures; Mentions of Heaven & longing to be there; Mentions of churches, church going, Bible classes, Sunday school classes, pastors, worship, & songs; Mentions of mission trips, missionaries, & martyrs; Mentions of angels & God’s hidden warriors; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; Mentions of a cross necklace (Aidyn wears one, but keeps it under her shirt at work since “newsrooms aren’t exactly harbors of faith”); A few mentions of God’s creation; A few mentions of different Christian denominations; A few mentions of godsends & God speed; A few mentions of Buddhists learning about Christianity because it gives hope; A couple mentions of baptisms; A couple mentions of devotionals; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of someone being like a saint; A couple mentions of a Chris Tomlin song; A couple mentions of a Faith section of a newspaper being the article is code for being “relatively buried”;
*Note: A couple mentions of Aidyn and her friend (Rahmiya)’s difference in faith and how they rarely talk about it (the end of the book leaves it open ended about Aidyn talking to her about it); A couple mentions of someone believing in Jesus, but struggling to deal with his own demons and “taking their power for granted”; A mention of a group of people having been through hell; A mention of a godforsaken place.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘freaking’, a ‘suck it up’, a form of ‘stupid’, two forms of ‘dumb’; A little bit of (playfully) eye rolling; Mrs. Kips is in hospice care (cancer), has pain, has to take morphine at times, and also needs help going to the bathroom (up to semi-detailed); Seeing signs of death approaching (written mostly in a medical way), seeing someone die, & helping clean them (up to semi-detailed); See an infant that died (up to semi-detailed); In a flashback scene, Mrs. Kips drinks Scotch after her husband’s death (though she doesn’t like it); A nightmare of a child being attacked by a beast (not gruesome, but in a spiritual-way, barely-above-not-detailed); While not technically lying, Aidyn fishes for information by acting like she knows what the other person is talking about; Many mentions of wars, fighting, deaths, families being separated, & Communists (including a new government that wants to murder someone); Many mentions of death, deaths, how they happened, signs of death approaching, & grieving (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a car accident, death, & how it happened (hinted to be drunk-driving, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of pain & injuries; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, someone who “battled the bottle”, & a bar; A few mentions of killers, thieves, and liars; A few mentions of prejudice & trying to help foreigners despite others being small-minded about it; A couple mentions of terrorists & bombs; A couple mentions of the Great Depression; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of smoking & a pipe; A couple mentions of humans being cruel to animals; A mention of the Japanese internment camps in the 1940s; A mention of a possible murder; A mention of illegal dogfights;
*Note: Mentions of social media & technology (FaceTime, YouTube); Mentions of Harley motorcycles; A couple mentions of a store & items (JCPenney, Barbie); A couple mentions of Elvis & a song; A couple mentions of car brands; A mention of Starbucks; A mention of McDonald’s; A mention of a brand name (Vuitton).


Sexual Content- A bit of Mrs. Kip recalling her husband’s embrace, warmth, and scent (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy (a businessman and a “naïve waitress”); A mention of rescuing young girls from the red-light districts;
*Note: A couple mentions of a younger brother’s rancid boxers.

-Clara Kip, age 79
-Aidyn Kelley, age 24
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 2016 & Flashbacks back to other times (1969, 1971, 1975-1979, & 1983)
368 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars

{ This book may be a hard read for those who recently lost a loved one due to the many mentions of deaths and death nearing, though, it could also help if the loved one was a Christian.}

To be frankly honest, I had been pushing reading this book off for the last couple of weeks. I was hearing great things about it, but I either wasn’t feeling it or wasn’t sure what to expect. So here I am two weeks later, finally have read this book with dried tears on my cheeks.

What a faith-filled story this was.

This is what Christian Fiction is in the best possible way: a story showing someone’s faith being steadfast during the hard times, not forgetting Him in the easy times, and also witnessing God’s love to others. I adored the message that this book carried.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Aidyn at first (she grew on me about half-way, though), but Mrs. Kips quickly caught my attention. Nearly every word out of her mouth was a prayer or praise to God and it was truly inspiring to read. Part of me wishes that we would have learned a bit more about Aidyn or even more details about Mrs. Kip, but the important details—their faiths—were there. I thought it was interesting to be introduced to a character through one person’s eyes and then when the point of view switches, we learn different things about that same person. I loved the missions aspects of this book and foresee myself going on some research bunny trails soon.

For those looking for a Christian Fiction book that isn’t the normal book in the genre, I highly suggest you check this one out.


Link to review:



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this honest review.

We should never underestimate the life-changing gift of friendship. ~Mrs. Kip

I don't even know where to start with this review. I first had opportunity to read this for Revell and I jumped at the chance because of the unique title. I wanted to know what it meant by “extraordinary deaths” and how that title came to play in the story. You see, I love unusual titles. Those that stand apart from the crowd & make a reader want to pick it up to find out what's inside. Some I've read are duds, but some like this one, are absolute gems that are dug from the ordinary.

Well I can tell you, this is no ordinary story! No run of the mill women's fiction, no bland words to slough through, no pages to turn simply for the pleasure of turning them. The story wrapped itself around me like a warm blanket in the winter and soothed me like a hot cup of tea while reading it. Sara Brunsvold writes like a seasoned author even though this is her debut novel. One I think everyone in the world needs to read. Don't let the unusual title deter you from picking this up...because I think once you read that first sentence or that first paragraph, you'll be hooked!

Mrs. Kip is a hoot! She has enough vim & vigor to warm the hardest of hearts. And a deep love for her fellow human being because of her vast love for her Lord. She lives out her faith in her loving ways, her tender and compassionate heart, and her gentle persuasive nature. There's so much more than meets the eye with this lady! She's lived an extraordinary life that was forged in the ashes of loss & heartache. And she is dying with dignity, never taking credit for anything that happened, only pointing fingers at her Lord & giving Him credit for all that she's been through.

I want it to be known that I did my utmost to leave in my wake the love Jesus first gave me. ~Mrs. Kip

She takes Aidyn under her wings & shows her what it means to feel, to stretch your beliefs & truly live your life to the fullest! Aidyn learns so much in this story. I loved watching her change and grow not only as a reporter, but also as her faith take wings. In the end, Mrs. Kip passes the baton for her to carry on. The ending had me reading the last chapter with tears pooling in my eyes. I could barely make out the words because of the strong emotions they brought out. A friendship forged in the ashes of life, a beautiful connection made by happenstance & the hand of God leading.

Sometimes we do things in life without knowing what ripples flow from it long afterwards. ~ Aidyn

An absolutely stunning debut novel that shows when we truly live & love like Jesus did, God will give us an extraordinary life, one that can take us deeper, give us joy in our soul, and change the way we think or feel. Put this one on your must-read list because it's life-changing!

*I received a complimentary copy from Revell publishers and was not obligated to leave a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own. *

This is one of the best books I've ever read. From start to finish, I was enthralled with Mrs. Kip's story and how God used to her to impact so many others. The writing was beautiful and the story was moving. Highly recommend!

Clara Kip had hoped to die in Sao Paulo, but a cancer diagnosis placed her in a Kansas hospice facility instead. Aidyan Kelley, a cub reporter for the local newspaper is tasked with writing Clara's obituary. It was a strange assignment as Clara was still alive. Feeling that she had no choice and not knowing what to expect, she went to interview Clara. At best, she thought she would just get some facts from Clara, and she would add the rest when the time came. She was wrong. Clara's story would deeply affect Aidyn and it was a story that needed to be told.

Clara Kip is one of the most memorable characters I have ever encountered. The author brings to readers a character who had deep faith and her commitment to be of help to anyone and everyone she came across knew no bounds. Clara's deep love of nature and her sense of adventure are vividly brought forth. The impact of Clara's story on Aidyn's life is powerful. Even though Clara and Aidyn were in each other's company for a short time only, the depth of their relationship was immeasurable.

Beautifully told, this story is well worth reading. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a book I won't forget. It is a very emotional and uplifting book despite the circumstances of Mrs. Kip.
Any one who has spend much time in a nursing home will feel deeply the realities of Mrs. Kip and Aidyn. Mrs. Kip's unwavering, inspiring and infectious faith and life serve as an example of what I hope to be like if I were to be in her place. It is a reminder of the past and a foreseeing of the future. She inspires a closer walk with Christ and how he uses our lives, heartaches and witness for good, even until we breathe our last.

There are so many wonderful quotes in this book, I think they would fill a book of their own.
Here's a few:
"Where there is pain, there is a calling. A duty."
"The Lord never failed to answer a request for work to do."
"Authentic love is the greatest joy there is, but it requires a thousand deaths to self."
"It's ok to be afraid, you know." "Fear is an invitation to remember who God is."
" I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book, it was an honor. The opinions are entirely my own.

I have just finished reading The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, and I’m sitting here with tears streaming down my face. I think I can say without spoiling anything that Mrs. Kip dies in the book. There’s sadness over that. But in the final extraordinary death of Mrs. Kip, there is joy. She is a woman who’s dedicated her life to loving as Jesus loves, to serving others, and she goes home to her Savior a mighty conqueror.

Aidyn Kelley, a young and talented reporter, wanted a real story, under her byline. She chafed at doing what she saw as grunt work for another, more experienced reporter. She wanted something with substance. She tried to take matters into her own hands to get that story, but her efforts failed in a big way. When she’s assigned to write an obituary for Clara Kip, someone who says herself that she lived an “exceedingly unimpressive” life, she thinks her editor is punishing her for trying to get above her station.

Little does Aidyn know the story that Mrs. Kip has to tell, and little does she realize that her dreaded, hard-nosed editor is one of those warriors that the Lord hides in the most surprising places.

Mrs. Kip made a deal with Aidyn. For every extraordinary way to die that Aidyn dreamed up for her, Mrs. Kip would answer three questions about her life. This led to some pretty humorous moments as Aidyn came up with ways both mild and wild in which Mrs. Kip could meet her Maker. And true to her word, Mrs. Kip answered Aidyn’s questions. And the events of her life unfolded in memories and flashbacks.

At first, I wondered why Mrs. Kip didn’t just TELL Aidyn her story. Why did she want Aidyn to work for it? Why did she want Aidyn to want to know her story, to seek it out? And the more I read, the more I saw: God was working through Mrs. Kip to break Aidyn’s pride, to help her see what was truly important in life. Clara Kip was loving Aidyn the best she could by not just handing Aidyn her life story and saying, “Here you go!” By realizing that this wasn’t “just” an obituary, by seeing that Mrs. Kip’s was a story that needed to be told, by learning how Mrs. Kip impacted others by dying to self and going where the Lord led her, Aidyn found her own strength in the Lord. And she saw what a privilege it had been for Mrs. Kip, and what a delight it could be for her, to live a life of mindful, joyful service to others, with no heed given to whatever status the world did or didn’t convey.

“Authentic love is the greatest joy there is, Miss Kelley, but it requires a thousand little deaths to self.”

How often have I not loved people as best as I could? How much more could the light of Jesus have shone through me over the years had I been devoted to mindful, joyful service? This book made me laugh, made me cry, and made me think. And isn’t that what a good story is supposed to do?

As an added bonus, this story points us to the greatest Story ever told: God’s love for us and the gift of eternal life available to all of us – “whoever will” – through His Son Jesus. Mrs. Kip is a marvelous example of someone who loves well and does her human best to love like Jesus. She “lived as if death were merely a phase, not an end. She poured out as if she would never go empty.”

The extraordinary deaths of Mrs. Kip were the deaths she died to self serving others. As she said, “The Lord never failed to answer a prayer for work to do.” She died in amazing ways every time she said yes to His work. That made hers a story worth telling and a life well lived.

I’d give this book ten stars if I could. It is easily one of my favorite books of 2022, maybe ever. If any of what I’ve written here speaks to you, please, go get a copy of this book and get to reading.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy from Revell Reads. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold piqued my interest with its intriguing title. I simply wasn't sure about reading it. But I felt compelled to read it after hearing so much about it and after reading all the positive reviews. I'm so grateful I did. The depth and significance of this book prevents me from fully doing it justice.

Aidyn Kelly, a tyro for The Kansas City Star, was assigned to write Mrs. Kip's obituary. Because Mrs. Kip is still living, Aidyn felt as though the task was a punishment.

The 79-year-old Mrs. Kip (Clara) has a lot to teach Aidyn, a young woman who is just starting her profession. She actually has a lot to teach anybody who reads this transcendent, inspirative story.

The book is a stirring and beautiful debut that is packed with countless Biblical truths and nuggets of wisdom that are sure to touch readers' hearts. Clara's memories and her current antics and kindnesses are all covered. Brunsvold succeeds in giving you the feeling of journeying with Clara through her recollections yet connecting with her present friendship.

If you only read one book this year, I implore you to chose The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip.

I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Profound and moving while at the same time humorous and reads like a light breeze on a relaxing sunny afternoon. Lightly sprinkled theology mixed with rather lovely evangestic touches and compellingly curious characters. Recommended.

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold
“Clara Kip had prayed repeatedly to die in Sao Paulo. It truly seemed the smallest of requests. People died in Brazil every day. What was one more? Especially one who had dreamed of the country most of her life. The Lord, however, gave her Kansas.”
And with these intriguing sentences, we dive into Clara Kip’s extraordinary life. She has checked in—never to leave—Sacred Promise Senior Care Center. But despite a fatal diagnosis, God isn’t done with Clara yet. She has one last assignment with young reporter Aidyn Kelley. And what unfolds from there is an inspiring tale.
I enjoyed the characters in the book, especially Mrs. Kip and the staff at Sacred Promise. Sara’s writing made them real, and I could tell that she either had experience with the elderly and death or had done much research.
I also enjoyed the way that the plot unfolded. I was intrigued and wanted to see Mrs. Kip’s adventurous life revealed. The plot proceeded at a just right pace to keep my attention.
This story will make readers examine their own life and want to discover for themselves the mark that they leave on those around them. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this, my honest review.

We all need a Mrs. Kip in our lives, I am so glad Sara Brunsvold wrote this book so we can all have this one.

Mrs. Kip has lived a long life and has many stories to tell. Aidyn Kelly is an ambitious young reporter who is eager to show off her abilities, She is perhaps a little too eager and needs to learn the ins and outs, so to speak, of when to push the boundaries and when to pay her dues.

Aidyn is assigned Mrs. Kip's obituary and is sure this assignment will be a quick, easy to complete project. As we soon begin to realize with Mrs. Kip, there is much more than meets the eye. Not only does Mrs. Kip have her own ideas for her time with Aidyn, but everyone aware of this assignment has more planned than what meets the eye.

This story takes us on the journey of the life of Mrs. Kip, the people she helped, the loss she experienced, and above all, the power of faith in her life. You see, Mrs. Kip completely loves the Lord and knows in a way it will take many of us a very long time to begin to understand that the Lord makes the impossible possible and when all hope is lost, the Lord finds a way. Mrs. Kip's reliance on God and her ability to lead others to Him is just one of the many things I enjoyed about this book.

When Aidyn realizes the depth of her assignment and quits trying to fill in the blanks, the resulting journey is a powerful story that not only changes Aidyn's life, but I imagine will change the lives of everyone who reads this book. I know it gave me a lot to thing about and evaluate in my own life and I am truly grateful to the author for writing this story.

I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Revell. All views are simply my honest opinion.

This was such a wonderful book!!

I had no idea what to expect, but I guarantee it was not the delightful narrative I found in the pages of this book. I loved the character of Mrs. Kip. Everyone needs a Mrs. Kip in their lives! May I be that to my own children and someday, Lord willing, grandchildren.

What an interesting idea to weave the life of a would-be headlining journalist with that of a quietly remarkable woman who is living out the end of her life in an obscure hospice center, with no family to call her own. It is great storytelling that seamlessly brings these lives together.

There is a lot of wisdom poured into these pages from Mrs. Kip, and you'll know when you read them because she'll inform you "That's gold, honey- write it down." I highlighted several of her wise words myself, though she was addressing Aidyn.

I want to love like Mrs. Kip loved. And I want to fully live like Mrs. Kip lived.

I would definitely read another book by this author. Perhaps a continuing story of Aidyn's climb up the journalistic ladder?

How does an ‘ordinary’ life become ‘extraordinary’? We may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can choose our attitude. (I loved the Harley!)
I had to keep taking a break from reading this book, trying to eke it out - & I so did not want to reach the (inevitable) end. It is hard to believe Mrs Kip is not real, & that we will not be able to meet her one day. Such words of wisdom, learned from a life well-spent (be prepared to take notes – there are many ‘quotable quotes’.) So much to learn, & to learn from – hopefully we will all be changed by reading about the extraordinary deaths of Mrs Kip, & go out & engage with our own community more. One person can make a difference, & I found it encouraging that we are reminded this continues to the very end of our life – if we look outside of ourselves, rather than focusing on our own plight.
The extraordinary life of Mrs Kip made a difference for so many, & through this book has the potential to continue doing so. Thankyou, Sara Brunsvold, for sharing this story : I was hooked from the very beginning, & will certainly be looking out for more of your writing.

This book is hard to describe, I've not seen one quite like it before. But different is good in this case. The book is unique,unusual,extraordinary.
Yes, It's a given I loved Mrs. Kip, she is the grandmother type we all want.
There are some wonderfully joyful parts to the book but some incredibly sad ones as well.
Mrs Kip is a very unique woman,a trooper,a woman who will not be left behind.
Though she has entered hospice care she gives of herself and makes everyone's life better there .
We also meet a young woman named Aidyn Kelley, a cub reporter with the Kansas City Star.
She's out to prove herself that she can write an obituary about Mrs Kip, an "ordinary woman". After this gets approved she can then go on to write bigger and more important things.
I will admit to not overly liking the girl when I first read about her, she seemed to be just humoring the older woman as she spoke just to quickly get this assignment over and done.
As the story progresses it touches my heart to see the relationship between Mrs Kip and Aidyn. She becomes a more mature,self assured and religious woman who is also more empathetic . Going through boxes of Mrs Kip's news clippings that contained stories of her life and by interviewing her and listening to her speak we hear what an extraordinary life Mrs Kip has lived. She is a most exemplary person to model your life after. If she were a real person I would have loved to have spent time with her.
Loved this book and look forward to seeing what this debut author has out next.

Pub Date 05 Jul 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

"Sometimes we do things in life without knowing what ripples flow from it long afterward."

Let me just start off by saying that I could never put into words just how amazing this book is. I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the title of this book, but oh my goodness, it was such a powerful book. It's beautifully written and full of wisdom we can all learn from. It will challenge you to examine your own faith. I loved Mrs. Kip and how she embraced life, even when her life was coming to an end. She was always looking for opportunities to share God's love with others.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this author.

**I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.**