by Melissa Meyers
“Clara Kip had prayed repeatedly to die in Sao Paulo. It truly seemed like the smallest request. People died in Brazil every day. What was one more? Especially one who had dreamed of the country most of her life. The Lord, however, gave her Kansas,” starts Brunsvold’s delightful debut novel about an ordinary octogenarian.
From the beginning you will fall in love with spirited Mrs. Clara Kip of Kansas. She isn’t done living even as she enters hospice. At Sacred Heart Senior Care Center her path crosses with new reporter Aidyn Kelley, who has been striving for more serious assignments at the Kansas City Star. She finally approaches her boss to ask for one, and it feels like a slap in the face, when she is sent to write obituaries.
Especially when she is sent to interview Mrs. Kip, an unremarkable woman, in Aidyn’s eyes. Not having a choice, she takes the assignment hoping to do a short interview, write the piece, and move on. But Mrs. Kip views this encounter as an opportunity to touch one more person’s life, and she bargains with Aidyn. For every extraordinary story Aidyn creates about how she dies, she will give her one piece of information. What ensues is a delightful unfolding of Mrs. Kip’s life, which to Aidyn’s surprise was not as ordinary as Mrs. Kip appears.
This multigenerational story balances approaching death with a beautiful reflection of a life well lived. It highlights the 1970s refugee resettlement efforts in Kansas City, and it is a story that reminds us that our lives often don’t end up how we think they should, but God uses us, where we are at, when we are willing. This uplifting novel will challenge you to view your life through a different lens.
Melissa Meyers is co-editor of The Stir, wife to John, and mother to Malcolm (18) and Emily (15). She is a Neonatal Nurse and Creative Writer. She is the author of, Beneath the Ancient Dust: Inspirational Stories from Nine Years in Afghanistan and Mrs. Beaumont and the Christmas Calendar. Her hobbies are coffee, reading, and taking long walks. She will accept an invitation out for coffee anytime.