The Story of a Southern Girl Who Went through Fire to Find Her Way Home

All the Pretty Things is one of those stories that you can't put down and you don't want to end. Edie's writing is engaging, funny and insightful on both her blog and in this book. I highly recommend and plan to share this book with others.

I would strongly recommend this book to any reader. It has been a long time since an author has brought me to tears when telling their personal story! What a story filled with heart and hope and love. Thank you for sharing this story with me! It has definitely made me a different and better person!

This book is on my Christmas list for every woman in my family. It's one of the best books I've read all year. Edie will capture your heart and make you wish she was your best friend or next-door neighbor.

I could not put this book down. It's a book you think about long after you are finished reading it. It is beautifully written and tells a heartbreaking story full of redemption. This story will encourage others to tell their own.

An absolute must read! You will be so blessed! Edie's words are so raw, so real, so truthful, so inspiring and really life changing! A story of unconditional love that makes you reflect on you own life and the experiences that have made you who you are! Full of His grace & Mercy! And the courage and strength to share your own story!

This book is so good, I couldn't put it down. I started it and planned to read a few chapters and then before I knew it I was halfway thru the book. It is just so well written. The story is amazing!

Edie draws you closer to God by simply sharing her somewhat tumultuous childhood with a charming yet alcoholic father and the impact that he had in her life. This memoir is just down-to-earth, straight talk about how God can weave a life together and make it all work for good if you have His eyes.

Wadsworth heartfelt and genuine account of her relationship between herself and her father hit a real chord. Wadsworth description of the pursuit of her relationship with her on father and then how her heavenly Father pursued her is nothing short of inspiring and life changing.

I loved reading this life story. Edie has over come such amazing obstacles; keeping her heart open and actions toward others loving and kind. Yet another testament that life was never intended to follow a direct route... but that every experience prepares us for the next. Thank you for sharing Edie!!

I can't stop thinking about the possibility of beauty and wholeness for every person out there, me included, who knows the brokenness of family life. Edie's life story is a testament of beauty rising up from ashes. Because she has lived it and shared it, I can now imagine it for my own life.

This book will open your eyes and bring you to places you forget exist. I've been reading Edie's blog for years and did not know her past was so different from her present life. This book y'all. Read it. It will make you laugh and make you cry. I will read this again and again!

After following Edies block for several years I enjoyed learning more about her life. This book has been such an example of grace and how we are all redeemed through our life's circumstances. Such a great read!

Loved this book. I was familiar with the author because I have followed her blog for several years. She is such an inspiration to so many. Her example and her faith are a real testimony to her heart. I highly recommend this book.

This book is amazing ! I can relate to so many things she talked about in her life but most of all I'm happy that we are sisters in Christ together and we have experienced God's great mercy and love that he has for his children!

I have kept coming back to Edie's blog at [...] for her inspiring pictures of how she decorates her home, for her delicious soup recipes and her insight into Christianity. I've been encouraged by her heart for hospitality and her willingness to open her doors to everyone and anyone that made need some love. It's the pretty that has kept me coming back. As I continued to turn the pages of her book, I suddenly began to understand better her need to nourish the people in her life with food and love and hope. I now saw more than just the pretty things she's showcases on her blog - I saw a woman broken by the sin inherited by human nature, the same one I'm broken from. I saw a woman hurt at the hands of others, as I have been in different ways. I saw a woman make her own mistakes and insist on learning the hard way, as I'm prone to do. I saw a woman in need of redemption and being led into the arms of her Saviour, Jesus. Redemption is my greatest need too, and maybe we have what matters most in common with different details. A must read memoir!

Worth the hard-to-read moments, and what it will evoke in the reader's own heart, to add this book to your must-read list. I was skeptical of all those who said, "I couldn't put it down, I read it in one sitting." I didn't quite swallow it in one whole bite, but I'll admit to hearing the clock strike, 1, 2 AM some nights til I read the final page. Riveting and thought-provoking, and as enjoyable to hear Edie's voice in a book as it is through her blog.

Absolutely LOVED this wonderful and heartbreaking memoir! Edie Wadsworth opens the windows of her 'broken and healed' heart and invites her readers in. Do yourself a favor and head to the Appalacia with Edie!

I have read and loved Edie's blog for several years, and was so excited when I found out she was writing a book. She is such a woman of beauty and grace, and so much hospitality. I couldn't put her book down and you won't be able to either. This is such a beautiful story of grace. A story about a girl who loved her Daddy and wanted nothing but his love in return. Through the years she finally realizes that he loved her the best he knew how, and that there is an even greater love from her Heavenly Father. A story rich in southern lingo and country music that makes me love and miss the south in which I grew up(hoping to move back next year). This book will make you realize that there are parts of all of our stories that need to be told, even the ones that we don't want to tell. And that when we do tell them healing can come in ways that we least expect. Thank you Edie for sharing your story with us. For being vulnerable and exposing all the parts that most want to cover up. All that I could think of by the end was that you are like the phoenix rising from the ashes..and that just like it says in Isaiah..that you've been given beauty for ashes, oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of heaviness.

Every little girl longs for her Daddy's love. The girl from the broken home. The girl with a broken father. And Edie was no exception. And while this story doesn't focus entirely on her desire to feel loved by her father, it is there and it will resonate within the reader.

While I didn't do most of my growing up years in Appalachia, I have been in the region since I was 12 (no, I won't tell you how long "since" has been!) and Wadsworth does a wonderful job of capturing what rural, poor Appalachia looks like,

The guardrails provided somewhat of a barrier and peace of mind from the hundred-foot drop-off to the valley below-the valley that had become a dumping ground for everything from empty milk cartons to beer cans to old worn-out couches, and even the ocassional rusted-out car. The switchbacks were so narrow that if another car approached, you either had to hug the embankment to the right and pray you didn't puncture your tires from broken glass or hope one of you would be able to back up to where the road widened enough for both vehicles.

Wadsworth does a wonderful job of capturing the angst and longing of growing up in this environment. This story has it all: a struggle to overcome the past, a desire to achieve more, success, failures, trials, hurt, angst, and self-realization.

As with many Appalachian families, faith is interwoven throughout the story. For me this was the most "true" aspect. Wadsworth doesn't gloss over her trials. She doesn't spout off easy cliches about how she always knew God was going to make everything better. Instead she shares her doubts, her uncertainties about her salvation and her walk, and her journey to coming to really know her Creator.

So I will close my review with Edie's own words after her realization that so much of life is out of our control:

Whether we work or don't, whether we homeschool or not, whether we've had nurturing marriages or not, we walk in humility-knowing that we are dependent on God to use mostly our failures to teach us something of what it means to be a parent, to be a human being.

After all, isn't that truly what life is about, recognizing that God is in control?
I received a copy of this title from Tyndale Bog Network in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts an opinions are my own.

When you first see Edie Wadsworth, words like polished, educated, fashionable and beautiful come to mind. Her smile radiates joy, her blog reads part best friend/part mother/part I want to be her, and her home (featured in Better Homes and Gardens) is all sorts of extra special spectacular. I had no idea her story wasn't always so picture perfect. But truthfully, is anyone's? Life is filled with ups, downs and roller coaster rides through hard times. All the Pretty Things is Edie's emotionally powerful story and she's brave and generous enough to share it with the world. In the pages of this book you'll encounter addiction, hunger, loss and heartache as well as forgiveness, grace and love. Difficult times that may have hardened her heart actually served to strengthen Edie and created a drive to improve her life while also fully loving those around her. I was touched by the stories she shared about her alcoholic father and as well as the lean years of her childhood. My heart ached for the love of a 6 year old little girl who couldn't fully understand what was going on around her. Rescuing her father from a bar side stool, wanting to save her little sister from being punished, and the empathetic feelings for the desperate adults who shared the stage with her. There was never enough hope, or food, to go around. And yet, God always provided a light to encourage Edie, even if it was only found inside herself. I highly recommend this book! The chapters are short and an easy read and the story itself is a beautifully broken testimony that encourages and doesn't blame. It's filled with hope and truth and beauty. Thank you for sharing, Edie. You're lovelier than ever- one of the pretty things both inside and out.

Maybe it was the country western songs peppering the pages, maybe it was her description of living in a trailer, or juggling life with divorced parents. It could have been the way I could relate to the deep and unexplainable love a girl feels for her daddy, no matter what. Whatever the reason, this book invited me in and held me in its grasp through all of its pages and not one chapter was insignificant.

Edie Rudder began her life in the Appalachian Mountains, running wild and chasing after her daddy. Times were hard and life was full of bumps and bruises and excuses and disappointments. One thing led to another and even though she had pulled herself through med school and fashioned a life no one from her background usually even dreamed of, she still felt lost and afraid.

Success, money, family, nothing could fill the void she felt in her inmost heart of hearts. Rising to the top and then losing it all she was finally brought back to the root and center of it all, the love of a Father. Somehow in the midst of it all, she realized that no matter what came her way, God's love for her was unending and unconditional.

Maybe that's it. Maybe that's why the ache won't stop. Maybe it was never supposed to. Maybe it wrings us out and wears us down until we finally see the point of it all-that we have been snatched out of the fire of our brokenness in order to serve and love and bless the dear ones God has placed right in front of our eyes, the ones who need our very meager gifts and offerings the most-the fatherless, the misfits, the prostitutes, the jailbirds, and all those whose despair has rendered them hopeless.

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Curiosity compelled me to read this memoir of a Southern girl whose dysfunctional relationship with her daddy cast a shadow over her entire life until God’s grace caught up with her, healing, empowering, and transforming her into someone wholly different. I wanted to read it because the author’s situation, superficially at least, reminded me of someone I know. A woman who, despite my many years of knowing her, remains an enigma. In reading Edie’s story, I sought insights into this woman’s life, and therefore into my relationship with her.

Few will be able to relate to the specifics of Edie’s story (which, for your average American woman, are pretty much off the charts), but every willing reader will find resonance in her themes. These are universal: the longing to be known and loved. To belong. And the angst that results when a parent loves you well but cannot meet your deepest emotional needs because of his or her own brokenness.

I teared up when I read Edie’s account of the first, nerve-wracking time she shared her story with an audience — touched in part because of her story, but even more so because of the truth she discovered:

“that the painful parts of our lives are often the very things that God will use as gifts to bless and change us and the people we meet.” (page 134)

Edie then goes on to describe in some detail the long road of hard forgiveness on her way to healing. She says,

“I learned to hold my compassion for Daddy and my wounds from him in the same heart.” (page 244)

There’s also this, as she quotes the doctor who helped her climb out of the pit:

“Most people are just doing the best they can with what they’ve been given. You never know what someone’s struggles are.” (page 246)

Edie’s articulation of these relational truths showed me the way to feel greater compassion toward toward not only one particular person in my life, but many. I am grateful.

I can only begin to guess the cost of penning a memoir like Edie’s — deeply personal, deeply vulnerable. I’ve talked to other memoirists who have said it took them years before they could write meaningfully about pain in their lives because they needed a certain degree of emotional distance that only time could provide. That distance seems here to be quite slender, and as a result, Edie’s story quite raw. Which is where, I believe, it draws so much of its power.

Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me a free copy. All opinions are mine.

For a long time, Edie thought she had escaped. It started in an Appalachian trailer park, where a young girl dreamed of becoming a doctor. But every day, Edie woke up to her reality:a poverty-stricken world full of alcohol and violence, where getting out seemed impossible. She taught herself to drive a stick shift truck at twelve years oldso she could get her drunk daddy home from the bar. She spent Saturdays at Brushy Mountain prison visiting her incarcerated cousin. She watched adults eat while her stomach gnawed and then there was torching of the family trailer, where she dug through the ashes to try to salvage her most prized possession--her Tammy Wynette album. And at the center of it all was her charismatic daddy. She never knew when he would show up but when he did he was usually drunk; she learned the hard way that she couldn't count on him to protect her. So she told herself it didn't matter. All she wanted was to make him proud. Against all odds, Edie "made doctor," achieving everything that had once seemed beyond her reach. Only, it was too late, because her Daddy died a year before she graduated medical school. She split the cost of his funeral with her sister. When her past finally caught up with her, it was all too much so she did what her Daddy would have done--she set it all on fire. It would take her whole life burning down once again for Edie to be finally able to face the truth about herself, her family, and her relationship with God. Readers of The Glass Castle will treasure this refreshing and raw redemption story, a memoir for anyone who has ever hungered for home, forgiveness, and the safe embrace of a father's love.

Honestly, I had no idea who Edie Wadsworth was until I picked up this book. Since then, I’ve done a little research on her, watched a few videos, and seen how amazing she is. Having the backstory only makes her accomplishments be even more so. This is one of those books that you’ll get engrossed in and want to finish up right away. It’s about family, childhood, and overcoming hard times. It’s also about healing from those disappointments and long-standing grievances. I was able to relate to her story more than you would think, which added another layer of depth to my reading experience. However, you don’t have to come from a harsh background to be able to gain encouragement from this book. She’s like the phoenix rising from the ashes…

I enjoy reading and writing memoir, and I was drawn to this story of a difficult childhood. Edie Wadsworth grew up poor in the Appalachian Mountains, yet eventually rose to great success as a medical doctor, then left her career to stay at home with her family and write full-time. I couldn’t wait to read her story of transformation.

Her experiences with poverty, dysfunctional family members, alcoholism, and sexual abuse certainly had the power to hold her down and keep her trapped in destructive cycles. But God spoke to her in church and through coaches and friends, and her heart was drawn to him at a young age. She sought perfection in her quest for self-worth, and made some poor relationship choices. But she conquered over her fears and hangups with faith in God’s provision and promises. Even after her life stabilized, she suffered a terrible loss through a house fire. God strengthened her faith again through that difficult trial, and her faith shines through on every page.

I enjoyed the author’s vulnerability and honesty of such sensitive subjects. Her deep love and affection for family was obvious, despite the many ways they hurt her. I appreciated that she was honest about her own failures, and treated the reputations of her abusers with care. She writes with grace, both in her style and in her willingness to forgive. This inspired me in my own story. I want to write memoir with that much grace and love. Although the story moved along slowly at times, it was sprinkled liberally with humor, charm, and joy, so it held my interest. If you are looking for a true story, balanced between hard truth and generous grace, I recommend this as a worthy read.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes from Tyndale House.

I had low expectations for this book because, in my opinion, most memoirs read like stream of consciousness ramblings from inexperienced writers who don’t know how to structure an interesting story for their readers.

I was delighted to find Edie Wadsworth is a master storyteller – she hooked me in the first paragraphs of the introduction and never let me go until the last sentence of the book. Who could put down a book that started with a child envisioning standing at the edge of a cliff with her sister and hoping she would have the courage to jump? What kind of heartache and pain would cause two children to think jumping off a cliff would be preferably to living?

No spoilers here – you’ll have to read Wadsworth’s story to find out, but you’ll find the reading agreeable. Her depiction of herself and her family is so vivid, you’ll feel like you are living right along with them as you read. There’s plenty of laughter and fond memories, but there are also harsh moments and remembered pain. This is the story of how one adult child of an alcoholic family found the strength through God to find her identity and overcome the obstacles of a chaotic childhood.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. as part of their bloggers book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

All The Pretty Things, by Edie Wadsworth, is the story of a young girl’s journey with her dad, her hero, and her quest to be loved by him.

It is a story which is compelling and heartbreaking as this young girl grows up with neglect, hunger, and responsibilities far beyond what a child should encumber. Yet Edie shares her story with a deep love and compassion for her people.

I found myself unable to put the book down as she drew me in with her warmth and charm, even as she tells of painful circumstances.

But the telling is to offer hope in the midst of overwhelming circumstances. Her words are heartfelt and inspiring, always pointing to a God who will lift any of us out of our messes.

She shares with a vulnerability and transparency which made it impossible to put the book down. Her story and triumph is one which I will remember. While I had never heard of her, I found myself wanting to read more of her words and was delighted to discover her blog .

Her story is heartbreaking, haunting, and yet beautiful and moving. A book sure to be enjoyed and remembered. Edie’s stories demonstrate how we can take our hurts and disappointments and turn them into lessons for life.

Each chapter further pulled me in, the story gripping my heart. Edie brings hope to anyone who has not had a healthy and whole childhood. More so, All The Pretty Things is a story which points us back to the redemptive love of our heavenly Father.

***Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I am disclosing this as required by Federal Trade Commission.

Edie Wadsworth, author of All the Pretty Things, writes a heartfelt memoir about growing up in Appalachia. The daughter of a broken family, Ms. Wadsworth candidly shares her story of heartbreak and hope.

The story begins as Edie allows us to enter into her childhood growing up in the poorest part of the Tennessee foothills. As a young girl, Edie learns quickly that life is full of disappointments and heartache. Not only does she struggle with having her physical needs met, she also struggles with having her emotional needs met. Edie lives with her father in a dilapidated trailer park. Her father, a heavy drinker, often neglects the needs of Edie and her sister. Although Edie's father is often drunk, he tries to make light of the situation finding ways to feed Edie with laughter. But the laughter and silliness don't do the trick. Edie needs more.

When their trailer home burns down, Edie and her family move in with Edie's grandmother. The extended family are as poor as Edie and her father but together, they pool resources and manage to eek out a living. Edie is constantly searching for the love she so desperately needs and seeks it from not only her father but also her estranged mother. Neither of her parents are able to give Edie what she needs but she clings to hope.

As the story progresses, we see Edie drawing us more deeply into her story of vulnerability. The deep wounds created by unmet needs turn Edie from relying on her Earthly father to looking toward her Heavenly Father.

All the Pretty Things, by Edie Wadsworth took my breath away with the beauty and grace of it's telling. This is Edie's story of growing up in the south, amongst poverty, with the deep ache of fatherlessness. It's about the road she traveled to find the love of her true Father. Many people have already compared it another book I deeply love, The Glass Castle- and I agree.

I don't normally enjoy reading digital copies, especially not when sitting at my computer. I had planned on waiting for my paperback copy to arrive before I read this book- but I opened the digital copy out of curiosity, read the first paragraph, and didn't get up until I had read the entire book. It was that good!

I read this complete book in one day! I was drawn to it like I haven't been drawn to a book in quite awhile , and so will you!

Get ready to go on a journey.... one of sadness, drunkenness, broken relationships, poverty, and abandonment. But also a journey of finding hope, love, grace, forgiveness, and wholeness.....

To all those who feel fatherless, you have a Father God that loves you.... (and deep down your birth father probably loves you too -even if he really doesn't know how to show it.) You are worth a Father's love!

All the Pretty Little Things takes you on a journey of how one woman finds emotional healing.... Are you in need of emotional healing? Spiritual healing? What about physical healing? Our bodies were designed to work well with all three aspects. If one is lacking, you will suffer. (Take our FREE Healthprint Quiz to help find physical healing.... and to get tips and personal recommendations based on your answers.)

The story in this book is the same as many kids live in the world today. It is sad. But the hope that shines through brings so much gladness. Leave a comment and tell us one thing you are doing to reach out to the fatherless around you today.

You can purchase the book here.

To comply with regulations by the FTC, Tyndale Blog Network has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Edie Wadsworth's memoir, All the Pretty Things, released on September 20, however I received a free digital version of the book as part of the launch team online book club that's reading and discussing the book this month. This is a very moving story about Edie growing up with an alcoholic father who she loved and her desire to make him proud. The poverty and family dynamics surrounding Edie's early life are tough stories, yet somehow she sees it all through rose-colored glasses, making this memoir easy to read despite the difficult situations. She looks back with a forgiving heart while also being honest about the hurt and disappointment that often resulted when her father didn't show up or showed up drunk at various times in her life. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy memoirs and true stories of individuals overcoming difficult situations.

"All Pretty Things" by Edie Wadsworth is the memoir of the author's life in extreme poverty with an alcoholic father and how no matter what happened in her life she seen God's hand in it. Wow the things the author went thru and had seen in her childhood I all can say is wow. Now don't get me wrong its not like I have not seen kids go thru things similar to her (I seen it with neighbors and friends), but what got me was that she did not do what most do which is stay in it she worked her way out of the attitude she grew up around. She became a Christian as teen but as you should know that did not make her life any easier yes she did end up becoming a doctor but not without sacrifice. She did well in society's standards but as she got closer to God she knew need healing and rest that only he could provide. This was a wonderful and sad story but it shows that we don't have to stay where we came from especially if its a very toxic life as in the authors past. I highly recommend this book as it is a great reminder that our past is not always our future.

I was given this from Tyndale Publishers for free and was not required to give a positive review.

I just finished this book and I absolutely recommend it to everyone! I was laid bare as I read Edie Rudder Wadsworth's story of growing up too soon and too hard. Though, our details vary, our lives were parallel. For the first time in my life, I knew there was someone who understood that feeling of being "unspoken for," feeling responsible for everyone else, and that gnawing feeling of hunger- sometimes for food, but more often than not for wholeness and belonging.

Whether you relate to her experiences or not, she is a gifted storyteller and her style and depth will touch you and open your eyes to the reality of knowing that sometimes the pretty things you see in others may actually have their beginnings in the ash heap. There is a reverence for that kind of beauty. It is painful, but redemptive. It is refining and holy, and God gets all of the glory for it.

It is an amazing book! Edie Wadsworth is unbelievably transparent- sharing about neglect, hunger and growing up in a home with an alcoholic father whom she adored. But it is also a beautiful memoir full of hope, forgiveness, redemption, healing and hard choices. I cannot tell you how moved I've been by this book. Honestly, I'm still processing it and still working through how much Edie loves. How much she forgives. How much she grows. I have laughed. And cried. And gotten mad. Yet there is love and sacrifice and laughter in this book as well. I honestly loved it. I think you will too. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book... "Come on, my sister. Don't wait until you're not afraid - Jump Scared!" and that is in the introduction! The rest of the book is even better!

I am so thankful for this book and its transparency. All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadworth is not only a stunning debut novel…. it’s also her memoir.

Its easy to say that I loved this book. What isn’t easy is what this book is about. Edie’s story is not a pretty one. Alcoholic father, being raised by a single mother, crazy family, and of course complete instability.

As we travel with Edie on her journey she lets us peek into her mind and what she struggled with. The writing itself was so easy to read and yet the content just tore at ones heartstrings. There is nothing but vulnerability on these pages.

Yet for me there was also something so relate able to Edie’s story. I understood it, even sympathized through many of its pages. I understand looking for that something that is missing, even if you don’t understand just yet what truly is missing. I loved this book. So amazingly well written and raw.

Go!! Read it now if you can…. but be prepared it may not leave you the way it found you.

Tyndale provided me a copy for my honest opinion.

All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth is a memoir about the author's experiences with a difficult childhood. She grew up in Appalachia with an alcoholic father, was sexually abused and experienced a lot of life at a young age.

She writes like she's telling you in person. There is nothing preachy here, and you feel like you want to give her a big hug by the end of the book. From getting married and having kids before she graduated from college to becoming a physician, holding a terminated newborn that survived the termination procedure for a short time, to her infidelity, divorce, depression and anger, this book is easy to relate to.

Eventually, she works through these hurts and issues and confronts her past. She also finds her faith again and is able to live with herself in peace. This would be a great, inspiring book, but it does have some triggers in it that might be a problem for some people.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up. I have enjoyed Edie's writing on her blog about hospitality and theology for years, so I supposed more of the same. I wasn't prepared to get sucked into an incredible story of a little girl born into poverty and abuse who brushed off the ashes and learned to thrive. This move reads like a novel or a movie script, and I sat down and read it front to back in one sitting. Whether you come from a childhood of wreckage, or just want to be inspired to embrace your own story, this is a must-read.

This was one of those books that I had a hard time putting down, and when I finished I thought about it for a long time. It was so hope-fiilled despite being often sad. Edie Wadsworth did a good job of sharing sensitive stories from her past without oversharing the details. She has a clear love for her family, and despite their many shortcomings (as all families have), she paints a picture of a group of people banding together through the highs and lows of life and weathering the storms as one. This was truly a beautiful story of God's redemptive love, and of one family's resilience.

I have followed Edie’s blog Life{in}Grace off and on for years, first finding her through a Pinterest picture, I think. She has an eye for design that is fascinating to me, even if it isn’t my own personal style. She has amazing soup recipes and a desire to promote homemaking following a career as a physician. I have to admit that I have not read all of her posts through the years, and while I knew there had a been house fire, I never knew how much fire was a part of her entire life.

Edie has been in the fire and emerged from it, smoky but with a smoke that isn’t awful like burning weeds but rather a pleasant one like what I smell when my husband is smoking a brisket. She has the “aroma of Christ” from her battles with living in the fire, choosing her own “fires” and walking away from others. Her smoky smell leaves me with a hunger not unlike the brisket smoke, only this hunger is to be more like my Savior. A hunger to be more compassionate and understanding and to continue to look for ways to care for the innocent children in this world who have broken families, and these days, who doesn’t have some form of broken family?

Edie’s book begins when she is just a youngster growing up in Appalachia in Eastern Tennessee. It ends with her current station in life. The story takes on a journey of heartache, neglect, love, family, abuse, redemption, perfection, failure, and grace. It gives us a view of an extended, dysfunctional family from the eyes of a young girl whose heart cannot do anything more but love them despite their failings. It also gives us a view into the heart and mind of a child victim and what both motivates and sabotages them throughout their life.

While I was privileged to read an advance copy of this book for the launch team, I bought one anyway because it is that good.

For as long as Edie Rudder could remember, growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee had shaped her life. The ever gnawing of her stomach that never had enough to eat, the neglect that was a constant, and her daddy’s love of alcohol were hallmarks that would follow her well beyond childhood.

Living in the midst of such poverty in a trailer on the mountainside with assorted relatives, Edie’s love for her daddy could not be dampened no matter how much her stomach hurt or her heart was wounded from disappointment. It was he who taught her to belt out the songs of Johnny Cash like “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Ring of Fire” as her daddy would swill down one beer after another.

Edie’s journey will cause your own heart to yearn for her to discover that love from the Lord and give you a view of life in the poverty Appalachia.

All the Pretty Things is not an easy go lucky book by any means, but is worth the read.
It is a painfully honest look at one girl's attempts to make her father love her and be proud of her. Edie never goes into a poor poor pitiful me attitude in the telling of her story. She doesn't play the victim. It isn't until near the end of the book Edie faces how destructive it was on her as a young child to visit relatives in prison on the weekends, take care of a drunken father, witness violence, and work so hard to seek approval of a man who was undependable. As Edie discovered and shared in her memoir, "we all have wounds, and we can either open them up to the light of day so they can heal or we can keep them buried, where they will fester and one day wreak havoc on us."
Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for a fair and honest review, which is exactly what I gave.

This memoir was one of the most beautiful and brave books I’ve read in a long time. Edie shares her own story of growing up in severe poverty, longing for her father’s love, learning to care for him in his alcoholism in ways far beyond her years. She is a masterful storyteller, sharing what is true and heartbreaking, while also weaving in glimpses of hope and redemption. This is a deeply personal, profoundly vulnerable story. I’m so grateful for Edie’s courage to delve into the pain and healing that can only come from sharing the things that we would rather keep hidden. A+ for me.
*Tyndale House Publishers have provided me with a complimentary copy. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255

What a gutting wrenching memoir this was. I felt so many emotions while reading this. I never put it down it is spell binding. Wadsworth is such an inspiration, a true angel here on earth.
Grab your box of Kleenex. Be ready to stay up all night reading this book once you start, you won't be able to put it down.
Wadsworth has a way with words.
I gave this book 4.5 stars. I HIGHLY recommend it. Give it as a gift to the reader in your life.
I received this book to review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Edie Wadsworth is a very brave woman. Not only did she live through unbelievably difficult circumstances throughout her life, she wrote them down for those who choose to do so to read. She allows you and me a peek inside her life. Edie writes with a transparency and offers readers a gift. We get to see a real life story of beauty rising from the ashes. Edie's story is one of perseverance, faith, and amazing grace. While a memoir, All the Pretty Things reads like a novel. Edie draws you into her life and writes with Southern charm and wit. Her's is a beautiful story of redemption. Readers will be challenged, moved and changed.

*I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

So many books in the memoir are just dry and boring. But those words could not be further from the truth here. Ms. Wadsworth's story is heartbreaking in so many ways, but is ultimately a powerful testimony to the love of God for all of His children. My heart broke for her over and over again, as well as for her family who would never escape the life that she left behind. This book is beautifully written, too. It' s not often that I'm reading non-fiction, and can't put it down, but Ms. Wadsworth writes in such a way that I just wanted to read one more chapter! An excellent book about finding God even through the hardships and trials of life.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.

My favorite kind of books are memoirs, so I was thrilled to get my hand on Edie Wadsworth's book, All The Pretty Things! I really appreciate a story that tells all of it. The messy moments, painful hard ache, and the bitter reality. Edie shares it all with a vulnerable heart but doesn't leave the reader left with sadness or despair, but rather full of hope. She shares stories about her poverty-stricken upbringing, an alcoholic father, and divorce. You will need a box of tissues because it is a real tear-jerker and some of her stories will just wreck you, but weaved throughout is plenty of redemption.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

“All The Pretty Things” is the memoir of Edie Wadsworth, who grew up in an extremely dysfunctional extended family in the Appalachians of eastern Tennessee. Generational poverty, hunger, chronic alcoholism, sexual abuse, and a life full of broken people and relationships came together to stack the odds against Edie. In spite of all this, by God’s grace and her hard work she managed to succeed and achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. Her narrative is touching and personal, and while the details are different her story hits close to home for me in many ways. I found myself laughing and crying numerous times. Much of Edie’s story centers around her relationship with Jim, her alcoholic father. Jim was often absent, usually drunk when present, and unable to support Edie and the rest of his family. He was charming and funny and likable, but unable to be responsible. Edie longed for his love and approval but came to realize he couldn’t relate to her desire for a different type of life.
“The things I was good at were things he didn’t value, and it was futile to explain to him what any of it meant.” (p. 145)
Edie’s love didn’t change for her father, and it didn’t keep her from the realization that many of us come to when we land squarely in a place where we can finally forgive – he did the best he could with what he had.
“But he did love me, in the only ways he knew how. And in the end, I hoped I’d find that what he could give would be enough.” (p. 145)
Edie’s journey as a follower of Christ is also central to her story. In the midst of a life constantly in shambles or on fire, she struggled to find the security she desired.
“Getting saved and baptized over and over again, I began to wonder whose sins I was trying to atone for and if I would ever find the peace and contentment I so desperately wanted. Still, however, confused I felt, I clung to faith because it was the only thing in my life that made sense, the thing I could count on in a world that was always changing.” (p. 127)
Edie’s sometimes tenuous connection to her faith in God would eventually lead her to find the Father that would never leave her or let her go hungry. Edie’s description of taking Communion after she left her medical practice and her family went back to church is a riveting lesson in God’s grace, closing with this thought:
“It is where we glimpse wholeness. It is not the altar where we surrender all; It is the altar where Christ has surrendered all – where He has given everything in preparation for this meal.” (p. 262)
This book is for everyone who feels lost, lonely, abandoned or forgotten. It is for everyone who has ever sat among the ashes of the life that have burned down around them, wondering how to find God in the rubble. It is for all of us. Thank you, Edie.
This book deserves ten stars, but the highest rating is five. Edie's authenticity is rare, precious and inspiring.

[FCC Compliance: Tyndale House Publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of this review. Opinions are my own]

Yes!!! We have all been so thirsty for someone to be vulnerable and honest with their story in such a beautiful and yet honoring way to her family! I found myself immediately in the middle of the mountains of Tennessee smelling the food, hearing the voices and watching the journey of a tender young girl with all of its wrecking and all of its redemption.
This is NOT one of those books you have to wade through the first few chapters to get into it. Edie writes in a way that makes you feel like you are immediately in the middle of her family and her journey. I could not stop reading and found myself staying up late to get to the next chapter to see what happened. She has a beautiful way of making you laugh out loud and cry and hold your breath sometimes all at the same time.
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to get an advanced copy to read. Edie gifted us with the honor of her story and it turns out it brought healing and restoration in deep places of my own story.

From the first word, this book will take you on a journey that in the beginning you may feel compelled to rush through, hardly noticing the many, many moments along the way; and in the end, you will have wished that you had taken longer to savor each word, each experience, each view into hope. It is the book that you will go back and start all over again because the storytelling is so captivating and author's love is so big and her message of God's redemption is so needed.

Everyone has a story to tell & Edie shares her story with courage, fire, grit & grace.

"It was then that I first began to realize that the painful parts of our lives are often the very things that God will use as gifts to bless and change us and the people we meet."

Thank you for sharing your story, Edie - "the hope that others need to hear".

All the Pretty Things was an interesting read. Another biography were the author grows up in far from ideal circumstances. Makes me so thankful for the family that I grew up in. Edie had struggled through relationships to find God and struggled to really plant her faith in God. But she did and thrived for it.

Towards the end of the book, her family suffered a house fire. I was encouraged to read the raw emotions that she had at that time as I could totally relate.

Thanks to Tyndale for a copy of this book.

Stayed up late to finish this book... So heartbreaking, life-giving, telling exactly my story and so much different from my own life all at once. From the alcoholic dad to the government cheese, from the overachieving to the self destruction and finally redemption, I saw myself in these pages and I wept. I praise the Lord that Edie and I have both found the Heavenly Father, who is better than we even believe now, and that we can forgive, accept, and celebrate the best not only in our fathers, but in ourselves.

This is such an inspiring book. Edie Wadsworth provides her readers with the crushing details of her childhood. What a sad upbringing she had. However, this does not start and end on a sad note. Wadsworth steps up to the challenge of changing her outlook and her goals to not become what she came from. In many ways it reminds me of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Reading this book will provide hope to those in situations they want to get out of. If you want to be something bad enough, you must realize you have to do something!

Edie gives you permission to share your story by baring her own in this timeless book about redemption. Her beautiful writing style leads you on her journey through fire with hope. The way in which she tells the truth with grace is inspiring. I was not able to put this book down and read it within a couple of days. Yet, Edie and her family have stayed with me for weeks and I know this book is changing me because of that fact alone. I can't stop thinking about the forgiveness and grace that lines each page. This is a must read, over and over again.

I so loved this book! I appreciate the unique flavor- the "Southern" voice which I know so well. Edie's story really touched me. I "know" the people she describes, though we've never met. From her difficult, hardscrabble upbringing, the reader follows her journey and struggles with empathy and insight for those who grapple with a hard, difficult life. When I read her mamaw's words "my life is hell", it reminded me of my own maternal "Mawmaw's" attitudes towards life which through no fault of her own, dealt her an unfair hand-- one of neglect, poverty and loss. This story is remarkable in it's themes of fatherlessness, redemption and Providence. The writing style is poetic, reflective and sanguine. I was captivated from the first page ---you should read this book!

Edie's book captivates you and you cannot help but want to keep reading just one... more... chapter. She has a great way of drawing you in to her story and helping you to understand her emotions and thoughts. I have many things in common with her story, which made it easy for me to keep reading, but I also was so compelled to hurry up and find out what happens in the places were our lives were very different. I am so glad she shared her story of great redemption and that she has followed her passion as a writer -- she is very good and I hope she will write more in the future

This book is so hard to put down.. She takes you on a journey that is funny, heartbreaking and inspiring. I read the ecopy, then I read it again after getting a signed copy at the book launch party. I'm not a writer or a blogger so I don't have elegant words to express how amazing this book is. But... I did order an extra book to share with someone that I love. If you know someone that has been through tough times, this book may possibly help them see that forgiveness is possible. I would give the book 10 stars if I could.

I have just come off the emotional roller coaster that is All the Pretty Things, and I am in awe of so much, I hardly know where to land! This memoir will break your heart, have you cheering, make you gasp and leave you wrecked—yet so full of hope. Edie Wadsworth shares her story and her heart in the most beautiful, honest, and encouraging way as she navigates us through unimaginable trials on her faith journey. Determination, redemption, grace, and strength—this is a phenomenal book and most definitely worth reading!

I was a provided a digital copy by the publisher but have since purchased my own paper copy. I honestly don't even know what to say.....I was quickly drawn in and could barely take my eyes from the page. Edie's words reached deep within my soul touching my heart, melting the ice and gently peeling back layer after layer exposing some of my deeply guarded pain. For me it was a gentle release, the slow realization that my deeply wounded heart has begun to heal. That my Heavenly Father and lover of my soul has been slowly bringing about healing. Thank you my dear sweet sister for sharing your story!

I so loved this book! I appreciate the unique flavor- the "Southern" voice which I know so well. Edie's story really touched me. I "know" the people she describes, though we've never met. From her difficult, hardscrabble upbringing, the reader follows her journey and struggles with empathy and insight for those who grapple with a hard, difficult life. When I read her mamaw's words "my life is hell", it reminded me of my own maternal "Mawmaw's" attitudes towards life which through no fault of her own, dealt her an unfair hand-- one of neglect, poverty and loss. This story is remarkable in it's themes of fatherlessness, redemption and Providence. The writing style is poetic, reflective and sanguine. I was captivated from the first page ---you should read this book!

Edie's book captivates you and you cannot help but want to keep reading just one... more... chapter. She has a great way of drawing you in to her story and helping you to understand her emotions and thoughts. I have many things in common with her story, which made it easy for me to keep reading, but I also was so compelled to hurry up and find out what happens in the places were our lives were very different. I am so glad she shared her story of great redemption and that she has followed her passion as a writer -- she is very good and I hope she will write more in the future

This book is so hard to put down.. She takes you on a journey that is funny, heartbreaking and inspiring. I read the ecopy, then I read it again after getting a signed copy at the book launch party. I'm not a writer or a blogger so I don't have elegant words to express how amazing this book is. But... I did order an extra book to share with someone that I love. If you know someone that has been through tough times, this book may possibly help them see that forgiveness is possible. I would give the book 10 stars if I could.

I have just come off the emotional roller coaster that is All the Pretty Things, and I am in awe of so much, I hardly know where to land! This memoir will break your heart, have you cheering, make you gasp and leave you wrecked—yet so full of hope. Edie Wadsworth shares her story and her heart in the most beautiful, honest, and encouraging way as she navigates us through unimaginable trials on her faith journey. Determination, redemption, grace, and strength—this is a phenomenal book and most definitely worth reading!

I was a provided a digital copy by the publisher but have since purchased my own paper copy. I honestly don't even know what to say.....I was quickly drawn in and could barely take my eyes from the page. Edie's words reached deep within my soul touching my heart, melting the ice and gently peeling back layer after layer exposing some of my deeply guarded pain. For me it was a gentle release, the slow realization that my deeply wounded heart has begun to heal. That my Heavenly Father and lover of my soul has been slowly bringing about healing. Thank you my dear sweet sister for sharing your story!

Edie is a medical doctor who escaped poverty, a dysfunctional family, physical and emotional abuse only to find that wasn’t enough to cure the pain in her heart. In this memoir, she explains how she searched to find relief and to bring peace, hope and wholeness to her heart and her family.
Edie is open, honest, and transparent in sharing her pain and failures as well as her moments of joy and success. Her story may cause you to review your own history and evaluate how you have handled life's challenges. Hopefully, like Edie, you will find the grace to forgive those who have hurt you and more importantly to forgive yourself. I participated in the book launch, for which I received a pdf copy of the manuscript to review.

I was part of the launch team for this book. I have been a fan of Edie's for a while-- her storytelling style is so honest and real that it feels like we are in a room together, having soup and tea and sharing experiences. And this book is all that and more-- an inspiring memoir of growing up, a spiritual journey along with all the bumps in the road that you can imagine. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, but not in sadness, but in redemption amidst my own imperfections and growing faith.

I have been following Edie's blog since my firstborn (7) was just a newborn. She has kind of been a virtual mentor to me as I navigated keeping a home and being a mama. But I didn't know the half of her story.

I couldn't put the book down - I had to know what was going to happen next. She made her story come to life on the page. It was heartbreaking and hopeful and hard and beautiful. And the Lord shone through it all.

(I was given a copy to review by the publisher and also bought a copy through my husband's the store account :) )

All the Pretty Things is a story of a young girl growing up in an unstable family, bouncing between her grandmother's trailer (where her beloved, but usually inebriated, Daddy also took up residence) and her mother who worked long hours to support her children. Both parents remarried, but then split up, and the children bounced from new life to new life. Life was unstable and unpredictable. Determined to break the cycle of poverty, Edie became the first in her family to attend college and didn't stop there. She had her sights on becoming a Doctor and threw herself into chasing this dream, all while raising her two little babies.
Unfortunately " making doctor" didn't end the turmoil in her life; a divorce, a dying patient, and a house fire would all still be in her future. Eventually Edie found that the only true hope isn't found in the successes we seek, but in the Father who seeks us.

Beautifully written and completely captivating.
I had the fortune of being selected by the publisher to read this book.

I've followed Edie's blog for years. It's the place I go when I want to cook something delicious or get cute ideas on decor. So I thought this book would be a glossy, shiny version of a hard story. I was so wrong! Edie tells us the hard hard story of loving a father who very often, didn't act very fatherly. I was amazed at her grace and the love she was able to find for him after all the hurt and pain. This is a wonderful book of forgiveness and healing, but with plenty of gritty real life. Edie makes us realize that what we see in 'blog world' isn't always the whole person and I'm so grateful she shared this with us.
*This book was given to me for review by the publisher. All opinions and ideas are my own.

Go RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE and buy this book. It was a sheer privilege to be one of the first people to read this collection of words. It's a memoir of epic proportions- it reads like a novel that you can't put down. The bravery that is demonstrated, as Edie shares her story, will give you the courage to dig deep into your own life and learn from your own story. It is full of forgiveness, Grace, love, heartache, and beautiful redemption that will usher you into a homecoming that can only be orchestrated by the God who loves us desperately. He truly is The Good Good Father. Can't wait for people to get this in their hands and hear how her story helps heal some of our hearts and hard places. So proud of this sweet precious friend. #alltheprettythings @lifeingrace

For years I've followed Edie's blog. She has been my homeschooling motivator, my decorating inspiration, my meal planning and soup-making guide. All these things interested me, but what kept me coming back was that through all of these aspects of her life, her faith is the focus of everything. She's passionate about her Savior and her calling to love Him and serve others. She was an inspiration to me before I ever read her story. Now, this book. Wow! What amazes me is how Edie literally let God turn all of the ashes of her life into beauty. Her heart for hospitality and her love and service to others around her means so much more to me now, knowing what she's been through and how she's let God use all the difficulties in her life to make her a beautiful vessel for Him. All The Pretty Things will break your heart and inspire you at the same time. It's a story of redemption that helps us all to think about our stories and how God can make anything beautiful if we let Him.

This is one of those rare books that draws you in from the very beginning, is hard to put down, and sticks with you for a long time after you've finished it. As a memoir that reads like a novel it's written in a way that you can feel, see, smell, and taste the very things she writes about. Edie grew up wrapped in so many of the dark and hidden secrets of the Appalachian Mountains living through so many fires, real and metaphoric. She endured poverty, neglect, heartache and more as a child which, unfortunately, taught her to give some of that pain back latter in life. Ultimately however, she finds her true home, healing, and forgiveness, as well as all the things she's truly longed for in God's grace. This is a must read and a writer worth keeping an eye out for in the future!

This book is Edie's hard won victory of telling her own story. She belongs to a family that left her "empty",hungry ,needy, abused and longing for a new kind of life and love. We'll woven, with images so well crafted, her people, her hills, her tears and her homecoming felt like my own.It's a hard, true, life giving story that will help you tell your own true story.

This memoir is masterfully done. I highly recommend it for anyone, but especially those who have experienced difficult things in their own life. My personal story is quite different from Edie's, but I deeply resonated with her reflections on her childhood, and I was deeply enriched by the details, nuances, artistry, and authenticity of her writing.

I love autobiographies and Edie's did not disappoint one fraction of my expectation! Appalachian in its rawest form was presented and the determination to rise above the smoke of the Smokey Mountains was in high gear.
Every emotion God placed inside a human soul was brought out in Wadsworth's journey. Joy. Angst. Sorrow. Pleasure. Disappointment. Anger. Complacency. You name it and you'll find it within the pages of All the Pretty Things.
I recommend blocking out a weekend, curling up in a comfy chair, an afghan, and several mugs of good, hot tea because once you begin reading? It's hard to lay down.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book I could not put down, but All the Pretty Things was one of those books. Each word and story drew me in and even the parts that were painful to read were so beautiful. This is a story of redemption and Jesus. A story of brokenness and restoration. Edie Wadsworth did such an amazing job of honoring her heritage without sugar-coating it. This is a book I will recommend to others, a book that I will continue to pick up off the shelf in the years to come. Thank you for your hard work, Edie, and for being vulnerable enough to share your story.

This is a memoir about the author, who rose above her difficult childhood to become a doctor, mother and blogger. I found this book to be interesting and an inspirational story of someone who rose above her circumstances with the help of God and others.

I was honored to be a part of Edie's launch team for her book, I started reading the book and I could NOT put it down. I've read it twice since I have received access to it, this book will capture you and ALL of your emotions! Edie writes her story of grace, redemption and beauty. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll get angry and you'll dance with joy. The way that Edie writes captures your attention and makes you feel as if though you are right along side her in her story. Her book is like sitting down for coffee with an old friend.

Her book will inspire you to share your own redemptive story! Make sure you have a few hours when you pick up this book because you will not want to put it down!! It's a must purchase, must read, must share with your friends book!

Oh how I wish I could leave more than 5 stars! This is quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read. I had to stop myself from reading it all in one day because I didn't want it to end. The author writes in a way that you feel like you're standing there beside her, such an amazing story! Hoping for more from her!

I don't even know where to start with this review but to say this book was so great! Even though I did not come from this background, I can totally relate to Edie and her family members. She gives such an insight to family dynamics and shares stories of mercy and forgiveness, which we all need. It was an inspiration and I am so glad she was able to share it!

At the time this book came to me I needed to read it. I was able to see certain extended family members in this story. It made me think at length about the weight of influence and the door of hope one or two encouraging people can bring to a hurting child.
I understood many of Edies struggles within. There is one line from this book I carry with me and pray be true in my own life.
I'm very glad Edie had the courage to write this.

truth - a memoir that will have you riveted from the beginning - be prepared to laugh - "Jesus Called", cry - "I don't know how old I was the night the trailer burned down - or if the rumor was true that Daddy was the one who set it on fire....", and grow in your faith - Edie is the real deal - she tells it from her heart and is one of a kind - she want to reach you where your heart is hurting and bring you to a place where you will be able to tell your own story - she is love wrapped in compassion and more....it is a must read and be sure to bring the kleenex box along for the journey.

I was given a copy of this book as a pre release review. It is something else! I loved hearing Edie's story. I loved seeing her literally rise from ashes. I love the hope it provides when the sky seems dark and the morning long off.

Edie's words brought so much comfort to my heart as I reflected on my own childhood. Her compassion for those who hurt her and the way she writes of our heavenly Father's love always bringing her home is a beautiful testament to the power of forgiveness and grace.

I was surprised and amazed at Edie's story and that she was able to be honest and vulnerable enough to write. I devoured the book waiting to find out what happened that would possibly make the woman she is today. All odds against her, heartbreak, poverty, alcoholism, and she survives to share this hard and beautiful story. You will cry, you will laugh, you'll be sad, you'll be angry but most of all you will come away with hope for this broken world.

What a great read! Edie is genuine; she shares her life story in such a way that you feel like you are right there with her. She recounts the good, the bad and the ugly things; many are heartbreaking and seem impossible to comprehend. I'm quoting her now, "knowing that we are dependent on God to use mostly our failures to teach us..." she was talking about parenting at that point... but, I think it is true in many areas of life. God's unfailing love,forgiveness and redemption are clearly presented in this book! Her faith in God to turn ashes into beauty is an encouragement. Libby

Just finished the book. Wow- a MUST READ!! Edie shares her story so bravely. I did laugh and cry and fell in love with Edie's mom, dad, sister and Jamie! Mostly, I am thankful for the way this author is so REAL. It's so refreshing and needed and healing for so many. We are used to looking at 'all the pretty things' through the eyes of social media, blogs and pinterest and compare ourselves to an unrealistic version of others. I only know Edie through her blog, but her writing has always moved me. Life in Grace blog's sister fans are going to be so proud and moved by this. Congratulations!!

Edie Wadsworth has written a memoir that reads like a fiction story. She creates the scenes and describes the characters in such a way that you are transported into her story that at times you need to remind yourself this is not fiction, but her life story. She retells the difficult events of her childhood with grace and love for those who unintentionally caused her pain. It is evident that despite the trials of her life she still loved and respected her family and her home. She teaches us all how to share truth covered in forgiveness and love.

This memoir is lovely. I didn't know much about Edie before I received a copy of All the Pretty Things from the publisher to review, but she is wonderful. This is a vulnerable and hope-filled story of redemption. I highly recommend it!

All The Pretty Things is a beautifully written page turner ! Eddie so openly shares her life, her pain and Gods grace . It has opened my eyes to look at the pain and struggles in my own life with a different view. When reading this book you will laugh and cry but most importantly reading this book will change your life! Share it with your family, friends and strangers . If your looking for your next book club read -this is IT!!!

This was one of those books that was popping up all over my social media, so when the publisher sent me a copy I was thrilled to read it in exchange for a review! I love reading personal stories and memoirs, so I enjoyed this book. I think there's value in reading about people who are very different than you, and that's how I felt about this book. I can hardly wrap my mind around the way Edie that grew up. It was an interesting read, and she definitely has a story to share.

Edie's book is just gorgeous! Her beautiful words and heartfelt story draw you in closer in the best kind of way. Her story is real and raw and honest. Memoir is one of my favorite genres, and this book does not disappoint. Edie's warm, caring personality shine through her book! Do yourself a favor and order this gem today!

A longtime reader of Edie's blog, I was so excited when she first shared that she'd be writing a book. Her memoir is a beautiful though heartbreaking redemption story of a daughter longing for her father. Her voice is honest, compassionate, and tender--she gently confronts the hard with grace and dignity. While I read the book quickly--as it was hard to stop once I began--her story lingers in my mind and will for some time.

While this book was given to me by the publisher, this review and my opinions are entirely my own.

A beautiful work of healing and redemption brought forth out of pain and suffering. Edie tells her story that only God could write and in turn challenges the reader let go of shame and doubt, realizing that God can use her story too. I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher and I could not put it down. Read it with a tissue and maybe a pen and paper, because you will not want to forget her soul stirring words!

This story will grip your heart and make you realize that you do not have to be the product of how you were raised. Through God's redeeming love, life can be beautiful. You won't want to put this book down

Having gone through so much of the same childhood traumas, and memories of that coming to mind in perimenopause. It's a comfort to know that there are others who have gone through fatherlessness, and alcoholism in a family and all the effects of that. Her story of finding unconditional love from our Heavenly Father, and the beauty that comes from the ashes in our lives, is exactly what God has been showing me for years. Thank you Edie for sharing your story!

The cover of this book is so lovely! It drew me in instantly. Not knowing anything about Edie, I wasn't itching to begin this book like it seems the rest of the internet was. Edie grew up in the Appalachian part of the country, with her younger sister and divorced parents. Spending a lot of time with her father's family, a generationally poverty-stricken family, Edie experienced a lot of things, including alcohol abuse and hunger from not having enough money for food.

I wanted to adore this book, love it even. Especially since the other reviews were insanely positive. Overall, I thought it was a good memoir. Hard for me to relate to because I had a great father who worked hard at his job, didn't keep alcohol in the house and who helped build a healthy self-esteem. I wanted to connect with Edie so badly, but there was just something - not entirely sure what - that stood in my way of doing that. All in all though, my reader connection aside, this book was truly filled with a heart-warming story. It might be worth putting on your library request list.

Edie Wadsworth has succeeded brilliantly in creating a visceral setting, so that the reader is easily caught up in mountain life: the sounds, smells, and sights of Appalachia are tangible. Her story, both heartbreaking and redemptive is one that needed to be told. For anyone who has had a complicated relationship with a parent, has suffered loss, has struggled in marriage, and has been shown grace. Brave in it's prose, this book is a must read!

Oh. My. Word. This book is compelling and filled with such tragedy that I had to keep reading...waiting for the strand of hope that I knew must exist for her to get these words onto paper for all the world to read. Read this book and find your Bible because Edie knows from where her hope is found.

A must read! After having followed Edie's blog for several years, I eagerly anticipated her book. It was so much more beautiful and soul touching than I even expected. Her willingness to openly share her hurt, heartbreak and struggles growing up in the Tennessee mountains is truly a gift to the reader. I laughed, cried, and so wanted to scoop that precious little girl up into a hug. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

While I anticipated a story of grace and redemption, I did not anticipate the author owning up to her own mistakes. Her honesty and vulnerability was so refreshing. So often books promote stories of forgiveness where they had to forgive others and overcome hardships, but leave it there without admitting their own downfalls where they too are in need of forgiveness.

I've read Edie's blog for a few years and have been looking forward to her book for some time. It did not disappoint! Her words and wisdom are a gift to the reader. I wanted to slowly savor this book, but couldn't put it down! I plan to read again soon, invite friends to consider it for our book club and likely gift to a few people.

I was actually able to obtain a copy of this book from the publisher before its release. It is one of the most heartfelt stories I have ever read. It is the story of forgiveness, love, and redemption. Truly inspirational.

I couldn't put this book down. I cried. I laughed. I wanted to drive into the depths of Appalchia and save neglected and hurting children. I was moved on every level. Beautifully and poignantly written story of deep seated hunger on every level. Heartbreak. Brokenness. And glorious redemption.

Edie's memoir All the Pretty Things was a page-turning read for me. I couldnt put it down. Never have I read such a heartbreaking story cradled in hope! Her authentic story about loss and healing is beautiful and life-giving. A must read for sure!

This book is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Life could have broken Edie but instead she survived and even thrived. If you know someone going through a difficult time or who grew up in a dysfunctional home, this is an excellent choice.

I loved this book! Edie tells what has the potential to be a painful tale of childhood poverty and alcoholism, and weaves it with threads of hope and redemption. The result is a story so uplifting, you will recommend it to all your friends! A beautiful and thoroughly-engrossing read!

I received this book from The Influence Network, and at first I thought it would be some sort of bible study type of book. I didn't really do much research on the book or what type it was. When I was reading I thought it was more of a fiction book than a real life book. I was also disappointed in the lack of religion in the book. For Edie to be classified as Christian author I thought there would be more to it than there was. It was still a good book, but I would read with caution

This memoir will touch your heart and soul in ways unimaginable. As I read this book I felt as if Edie was sitting right next to me, telling me her story. This book is heartbreaking yet redemptive in all ways.

I could not put this book down. With every turn of the page I felt like I was living right along with Edie. When I finished I felt both heartbroken and uplifted at the same time. Truly a must read.

This memoir is a beautiful story of struggle and hopelessness woven with such beauty and grace and redemption! Edie is a master of words and will hold you in the depth of her story until every word is read! An amazing story and one you do not want to miss!! You'll never be the same!

We see one other in our stories. Edie poetically describes the crux of human existence. The beauty and brutality that exist side by side. You will walk away from this book seeing your own life in a new light.

“Come on, my sister. Don’t wait until you’re not afraid – jump scared.” (p xii)

All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth is a book that will stay with you long after you read it. I finished the book about a week ago and I find myself replaying parts of Edie’s story in my head, remembering her heart and her words. It’s a beautiful and haunting story about Edie’s life, with her relationship with her father playing a central role throughout the book. Memoirs are some of my very favorite books, and this one is so compelling that it almost reads like a fiction story. I kept having to remind myself that it was real. Edie is a superb writer, especially after you get past the halfway point in the book – it really speeds up and pulls you in.

All the Pretty Things is basically the story of Edie’s life from birth to current day. It’s a story of grace and redemption, of grit and determination. Edie grows from a poor little girl with an alcoholic father whom she loved desperately to a successful doctor with kids of her own. My favorite part of the book is how all along the way she loves her people so selflessly and beautifully. I cannot imagine being a child and having to take care of an alcoholic father, going with him to bars to make sure he made it back in one piece, always feeling hungry and never really feeling safe or secure. I also cannot imagine a way to come out of that childhood without intense anger, bitterness or perhaps even walking in the footsteps of her daddy that she loved so very much. Miraculously, she fought against bitterness and anger and instead of resigning herself to the life she was born into, she created the life she wanted through crazy hard work and fierce determination. Her journey is so inspiring. The unconditional love she shows for her father, while wisely learning to create boundaries to protect herself is an incredible lesson to anyone who struggles with difficult or dangerous people.

This book is exactly why it’s so important to tell your story – even (maybe even especially) when it’s painful or difficult to tell. Edie’s story is not entirely unique. There are millions of people who share similar stories of abuse, neglect, poverty or hunger and who will be touched and inspired by Edie’s beautiful words. The vulnerability she displayed by writing about her life is brave and beautiful. I was truly moved by her story.

Some of my favorite Quotables from All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth:

“…however confused I felt, I clung to faith because it was the only thing in my life that made sense, the thing I could count on in a world that was always changing.” (p 127)

“Maybe hope, however frail, was taking root in the deepest places; maybe sunlight and peace really would shine in her heart after the rain; maybe heartache can be the birthplace of the most beautiful things.” (p 135)

“..the painful parts of our lies are often the very things that God will use as gifts to bless and change us and the people we meet.” (p 134)

“The sacred mystery that surrounds death is like nothing else in life, and it is a privilege to walk the last miles home with someone.” (p 208)

“I see now that the heart doesn’t settle easily for blame – it longs to be redeemed.” (p 243)

“I learned that we all have wounds, and we can either open them up to the light of day so they can heal or we can keep them buried, where they will fester and one day wreak havoc on us.” (p 244)

“Parenting and living require more faith than knowledge, more grace than rules, more trust than answers.” (p 284)

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

From the minute I started this book, I knew that all productivity was gone until I finished it which was within a day. I've always loved Edie's voice via her blog but getting a behind the scenes look at why and how she is who she is today is absolutely captivating. Heartbreaking, poignant, funny, charming, comforting, and inspirational are all words that come to mind when thinking about this book. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. What a gift.

Edie walks the line, that fine line between hopeful love and devastating heartbreak. And she does it with such grace and southern hospitality that you just know you could show up at her home and be invited in on the spot no matter what you ever did. Grace abounds in her heart and between the pages.

If you have ever loved someone who could not see you, really see you, and know enough to be proud of you and so return your deepest love and adoration, you will want to read "All the Pretty Things". You'll be inspired to love again, trust again and take notice of all the pretty things that come from the ashes.

I was privileged to read an advance copy. It is tattered and underlined and dog-eared. I ordered my own beautiful hardback copy so I could visit anytime I want and remember what human struggle, dignity and grace feels like.

This memoir is masterfully done. I highly recommend it for anyone, but especially those who have experienced difficult things in their own life. My personal story is quite different from Edie's, but I deeply resonated with her reflections on her childhood, and I was deeply enriched by the details, nuances, artistry, and authenticity of her writing.

Fans of The Glass Castle will find a lot to love in Edie's story... But in Edie's story, you can see strands of redemption and grace woven throughout. Though our backgrounds are so different, I found so much to relate to here. I'll be giving this one out for Christmas gifts, for sure!

Inspiring story of how love trumps all...the poverty, the disappointments are lessened somehow because of the love a girl has for her dysfunctional family. Beautifully written this is a remarkable true story of the resilience of an Appalachian girl who beat all odds by embracing her roots instead of escaping them.