Rhonda McKnight

What a great read to get lost in. Told in dual time, the early 1900's to the present, through a gift of letters.

There is a lot of family dynamics here, and more and more come to light as you continue through this book.

There is a lot information about the Gullah people, I never knew this, and we work with the food from this region, and I loved how this all blends into this story!

There are a lot of family dynamics here, strong women, and you really need to read all the way to the end for it all to blend together. Be ready for strong emotions and a feeling that you want to fight for justice!

I will be look for more from this author!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.… (mer)

Wow! This is a fantastic book! Spanning two time periods it tells the story of two courageous and strong women. Odessa, a woman who put her dreams on hold but loved her family fiercely. She had advice that passed down to her great granddaughter- "The women before you could only dream. But I know they hoped for a better day for their daughters and all the women down their family line. Do me and them the honor of living your dreams so that our sacrifices will be seed that has fallen on good ground." 150 years later, Casey faces a horrible situation that changes her life. She ends up searching for herself and finds home. She realizes that her dreams have changed and she embraces the change. Along the way she finds family and love that change her life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.… (mer)

Casey B is a woman scorned at the beginning of The Thing About Home. While I sympathized with her situation and even her response to it, I didn’t much like her. Maybe because the model-turned-influencer seemed really shallow. But as the novel progressed I saw behind the mask this main character presented to the world. Talk about character development! Rhonda McKnight puts Casey through the ringer and brings her out stronger and more grounded in faith, family, and future. The Thing About Home explores identity and family legacy. The dual timeline of Odessa’s story adds a wonderful depth to the Black family journey to the present. And the long life lived by Granna, Casey’s grandmother, added a layer of poignancy and wisdom. Both women gave Casey and this reader a perspective on struggles we were unaware of. I really liked that about the book. I learned a thing or two about history and myself. While these things would certainly be enough, the romance that develops between Casey and her very hunky host is certainly swoony! So basically you have a novel with a strong message, brilliant descriptions of culture and history of the Lowcountry, a beautifully crafted style, and a romance to beat all romances. Yes, its got it all. And it gets a highly recommended rating from me!

Highly Recommended!

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)… (mer)

What do you do when your vow renewal doesn’t quite go as planned? Take a trip of course! In this light hearted yet detailed novel, Casey learns just who she is, who she is not, and where she comes from. McKnight takes you on a journey from New York to the low country and for those of us lucky enough to know both places, it is definitely a treat! Changing points of view, times and circumstances give a well rounded story.
*I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review… (mer)