🛒🛍️ “The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery” (2021) 🛍️ 🛒 – Book Review

 

MY REVIEW

 

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Revell (September 7, 2021)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0800737415

ISBN-13: 978-0800737412

⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

 

“Present Day. After tragedy plunges her into grief and unresolved anger, Sarah Ashby returns to her childhood home determined to finally follow her long-denied dream of running Old Depot Grocery alongside her mother and grandmother. But when she arrives, her mother, Rosemary, announces to her that the store is closing. Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann, make a pact to save the store, but Rosemary has worked her entire life to make sure her daughter never follows in her footsteps. She has her reasons--but she'll certainly never reveal the real one.

 

1965. Glory Ann confesses to her family that she's pregnant with her deceased fiancé's baby. Pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper to preserve the family reputation, Glory Ann vows never to love again. But some promises are not as easily kept as she imagined.”

 

Thank you in advance to publisher, Revell (a division of Baker Books), for providing a complimentary review copy of the book through the Revell Reads blogger program. I am also on the author’s launch team. A positive review was definitely not required or requested in any way; all words are my own.

Last year I had to privilege of reading the author’s debut book, The Edge of Belonging, for the program. So, I was eagerly looking forward to The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery (SKODG).

 

Like her first novel, SKODG is also a dual-time novel. And, this too is a standalone novel.

 

The cover of SKODG stands out and has a classic, old-timey feel to it. You can almost smell the fresh produce at the store and certainly see people shopping there. It also has that Hallmark movie vibe to it in that the cover seemingly can come to life as you’re staring at it.

 

As usual, Cox uses short chapters to move the story along and I definitely found myself quite interested in the story. I read 100 pages in 90 minutes. And, finished the book within 24 hours (off and on). It took me a bit longer than the first one, but that is in no way a reflection on this sophomore effort.

 

The past is told from June 1965 to October 1997, mostly from Glory Ann’s perspective then adding in Rosemary’s (Sarah’s mother).

 

The “PRESENT DAY” is told from Sarah, Glory Ann, and Rosemary’s perspective. The two time periods alternate frequently and with notice at the beginning of the chapter.

 

The “secret keepers” is definitely an appropriate part of the title. Each woman – Glory Ann, Rosemary, and Sarah have their own secrets.

 

Other support characters include Clarence (GA’s husband); Jessie (Jessamine, Rose’s younger sister), and Clay (guy “sweet” on Sarah); and Bo (Sarah’s father).

 

There is an “out of wedlock” pregnancy (considered taboo back in 1965), drug and alcohol abuse are referenced but not depicted in the book.

 

The present day begins with Sarah looking forward to working at Old Depot Grocery and making it a mother-daughter-granddaughter team. But, there is a hitch – someone wants to buy it.

 

PAST (1965-1997) – June 1965, Glory Ann finds herself pregnant at age 19 with her dead fiancé’s child. Jimmy is presumably killed in Vietnam. And, given the time period, her family (particularly her father) is quick to marry her off.

 

Clarence Clearwater cares for Glory Ann and is very willing to marry her and raise the baby as his own.

 

Glory Ann begins to come to terms with her new marriage and even grows to love Clarence. But, GA continues to see Jimmy’s parents, taking Rose with her.

 

One poignant moment involves GA showing up at her mom’s birthday party with Rose. It is clear – GA’s parents, especially her mother, want nothing to do with GA or Rose, especially Rose. There is a cryptic message GA’s mother tells her – Jimmy’s parents can never know.

 

It isn’t long until a second child is on the way.

 

As the years pass, GA learns of soldiers, POWs coming home. She wonders about Jimmy, but is happy in her life with Clarence, Rose, and Jessie.

 

But, when Rose is 17, a strange man wanders by to check on her mother. And, when she is 18 a tragedy strikes that Rosemary will take most of her life to atone for and forgive herself for. And, for a time she tries to connect with her mother’s parents. As she learns – she isn’t really wanted there.

 

By 1986, a letter shows up that Rosemary gets the wrong ideas from.

 

Between 1989-1997, Rosemary gets married and has Sarah who is content playing at the store and wants to be a part of it, something her mother is against. She is determined to keep her daughter from repeating her mistakes.

 

PRESENT DAY – Old Depot Grocery is in a slump and Rosemary is hoping Sarah will talk with her grandmother (Nan) about selling it. Sarah, like her grandmother decades earlier, is grieving a loss. Unlike her grandmother, Sarah and her husband were distant before his death.

 

Sarah, seeing that Old Depot was a source of contentment is trying to save the store. Her mother, who is hiding a diagnosis, is definitely insistent. Rosemary also wants to get Sarah back to Illinois, to a life she believes her daughter deserves.

 

GA knows the store has seen better days, but it isn’t like it hasn’t seen bad days. She wonders what Clarence would do.

 

Sarah should be grieving, but she is also realistic that her marriage was anything but idyllic. But, she’s also fighting a health issue as well and doesn’t want to believe what it could be.

 

She meets Clay who is content to be her friend.

 

Rosemary is shocked when her daughter announces she is staying in Brighton – permanently.

 

Sarah learns more about the grandfather her mother never speaks of. She also finds a 1986 letter from a man to Glory Ann. A letter that is in Rosemary’s possession and is partially burned.

 

It is Clay who helps Sarah – not only as an ear to listen, but to return home to Chicago to pack up her life.

 

Glory Ann comes to a decision, but Sarah has a different idea.

 

Sarah is determined to end the the secrets that have been in her family for a long time. And, the best way – the find the man who wrote the letter that her mother has been hiding for 35 years.

 

Cox weaves a brilliant and masterful story that tugs at the heartstrings with heartfelt, sometimes witty dialogue, along with family dynamics that anyone can relate to.

 

And, Cox relates a lesson that I’ve been hearing for over 20 years – we can’t change the past, but we can change the future, or choose a new tomorrow.

 

While the book didn’t end the way I wanted, it was definitely a beautiful story that will likely resonate with some readers.

 

A few notes of my own – there were some moments that parallel things I knew or had done. One is regarding Sarah trying to climb out of her playpen around age two (2). I was trying to go out the bottom and ended up destroying the playpen before I was a year old (1).

 

Old Depot Grocery loosely reminded me of a store in my mom’s hometown of 29 Palms, California – The Alamo. It closed sometime in the early 2000’s.

 

A man by the name of Benton owns a hardware store in Brighton, for many years there was a store by the name of Benton Brothers in 29 Palms as well. It too closed sometime in the 2000’s. These were a part of my childhood (as well as my mother’s), so I could relate to Sarah when it came to Old Depot Grocery.

 

There were a few “typos” along with a few anomalies I noticed in this.

 

** The Ford Cortina was sold in the UK along with other overseas markets, just not here in the U.S.  

 

** A reference about Rose not being Clarence’s “DNA”. Back in the day I heard it referred to more or less as “my blood”. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that “DNA” was used to established paternity in questioned cases. Though it is possible some did use the term back in the mid 1960’s.

 

** “Elmo” is mentioned being on children’s clothing. The only Elmo I know is the one from Sesame Street. He debuted in 1980.

 

These did not affect the overall enjoyment of the story but keen-eyed readers are sure to notice these historical “anomalies”.  

 

Since this is distributed by Revell, a primarily Christian/faith-themed publisher, there will be slight references to God and prayers. These are not that frequent and not integral to the story.

 

SKODG is every bit engaging, heart-felt, emotional, and inspirational as The Edge of Belonging. With emotional dialogue and a story arc that sweeps over 55+ years, SKODG is a compelling and masterful story that illustrates the damages secrets can do over a lifetime or more.

 

Readers who enjoyed The Edge of Belonging, will likely enjoy The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery.

 

I’m eagerly awaiting the author’s next book.

 

 

 

RATING:

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – BookBub 

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

 

Amanda Cox is the author of The Edge of Belonging. A blogger and a curriculum developer for a national nonprofit youth leadership organization, she holds a bachelor's degree in Bible and theology and a master's degree in professional counseling, but her first love is communicating through story. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children. Learn more at http://AmandaCoxWrites.com.

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