BR: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold
Book cover image from booksandbookskw.com
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.
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If you enjoyed this review, you may also find other books of interest at MockingOwl Roost including Murder Always Barks Twice, Go Hex Yourself, or And Jilly Came Tumbling After.
Katie Daniels
Katie Daniels is a speech language pathologist in Florida, where she resides with her husband and their pup-child. She has dabbled in professional and personal writing over the years, but only recently began sharing her work with others. She is a proud Florida kid who enjoys meeting new people, seeing new places, and all things related to laughter, travel, faith, Disney, reading, and F.S.U. football. She is easily bribed with donuts or mac ‘n cheese.
She would love to connect on Instagram.
