Susie Finkbeiner – författare

A 2020 Michigan Notable Book2020 Christy Award finalist***When Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know. In Mike's absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike's safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.Author Susie Finkbeiner invites you into the Jacobson family's home and hearts during a time in which the chaos of the outside world touched their small community in ways they never imagined."Finkbeiner's characters believably navigate the emotional upheaval of war, and she skillfully depicts how the Jacobson's slowly open up to one another, emerging with greater strength, faith, and mutual respect."--Publishers Weekly"The small-town experience and connect readers deeply to characters who cry, cringe, and are, ultimately, able to rest assured that all will be well."--Booklist, starred review"Susie Finkbeiner's new novel captures that fraught time with beauty and gentleness. . . . A beautiful, arresting novel."--The Banner

"Susie Finkbeiner has quickly become one of my favorite new storytellers. She brings history to life with engaging plots and delightful characters who you'll want to cheer for and weep with. Her novels are not to be missed!"--Lynn Austin, author of Chasing ShadowsBetty Sweet never expected to be a widow at 40. With so much life still in front of her, she tries to figure out what's next. She couldn't have imagined what God had in mind. When her estranged sister is committed to a sanitarium, Betty finds herself taking on the care of a 5-year-old nephew she never knew she had.In 1960s LaFontaine, Michigan, they make an odd pair. Betty with her pink button nose and bouffant hair. Hugo with his light brown skin and large brown eyes. But more powerful than what makes them different is what they share: the heartache of an empty space in their lives. Slowly, they will learn to trust one another as they discover common ground and healing through the magic of storytelling.Award-winning author Susie Finkbeiner offers fans a novel that invites us to rediscover the power of story to open the doors of our hearts.

"Finkbeiner has deftly written this narrative of ordinary people finding their way, set against a backdrop of global upheaval and war; the characters are realistic and vibrant. Readers looking for realist family stories with a subtle thread of faith . . .will want to read Finkbeiner's latest."--Library Journal starred review***In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives.Though her father supports Mindy's desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he'll lose the daughter he's poured his heart into. Mindy's mother undergoes the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy's sister helps her sort through relics that whisper of the effect the trauma of war has had on their family--but also speak of the beauty of overcoming.Told through three strong voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code."A balanced story that's rich with nuance and gentle emotions."--Foreword Reviews"Readers who enjoy the work of Karen Kingsbury will want to take a look."--Publishers Weekly

A 2024 Michigan Notable Book"A moving novel, fit for inspiring any reader to dream big and believe that anything is possible."--BookPage***Two sisters discover how much good there is in the world--even in the hardest of circumstancesIt is 1952, and nearly all the girls 16-year-old Bertha Harding knows dream of getting married, keeping house, and raising children in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Bertha dreams of baseball. She reads every story in the sports section, she plays ball with the neighborhood boys--she even writes letters to the pitcher for the Workington Sweet Peas, part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.When Bertha's father is accused of being part of the Communist Party by the House Un-American Activities Committee, life comes crashing down on them. Disgraced and shunned, the Hardings move to a small town to start over where the only one who knows them is shy Uncle Matthew. But dreams are hard to kill, and when Bertha gets a chance to try out for the Workington Sweet Peas, she packs her bags for an adventure she'll never forget.Join award-winning author Susie Finkbeiner for a summer of chasing down your dreams and discovering the place you truly belong.***"Finkbeiner excels at illuminating history and the human condition through the voices of young people. Fans of the 1992 movie A League of Their Own will enjoy this, as will readers of women's fiction."--Library Journal"In the vivid, episodic historical novel The All-American, a family targeted by McCarthy-era hysteria grows closer while they're awaiting justice; their dreams are kept alive despite the intrigue that ensnares them."--Foreword Reviews

Where you come from isn''t who you are.Ten-year-old Pearl Spence is a daydreamer, playing make-believe to escape life in Oklahoma''s Dust Bowl in 1935. The Spences have their share of misfortune, but as the sheriff''s family, they’ve got more than most in this dry, desolate place. They''re who the town turns to when there''s a crisis or a need—and during these desperate times, there are plenty of both, even if half the town stands empty as people have packed up and moved on.Pearl is proud of her loving, strong family, though she often wearies of tracking down her mentally impaired older sister or wrestling with her grandmother''s unshakable belief in a God who Pearl just isn''t sure she likes.Then a mysterious man bent on revenge tramps into her town of Red River. Eddie is dangerous and he seems fixated on Pearl. When he reveals why he’s really there and shares a shocking secret involving the whole town, dust won''t be the only thing darkening Pearl''s world.While the tone is suspenseful and often poignant, the subtle humor of Pearl''s voice keeps A Cup of Dust from becoming heavyhanded. Finkbeiner deftly paints a story of a family unit coming together despite fractures of distress threatening to pull them apart.

"The writing is solid and as compelling as the first novel, and Pearl is as charming a narrator as ever. " - Historical Novel Society"I believed it would have been a sin to stay inside when God had sent us such fine weather. According to Pastor Ezra Anderson, sin was the reason we''d got in the dusty mess we were in. The way I saw it, that day was God''s way of letting us know He wasn''t mad at us anymore. Just maybe He''d seen fit to forgive us."Pearl Spence has been through more in her young life than most folks could handle. But through it all, her family has been by her side. They may not be perfect, but they love her and they all love each other, come what may. That''s one thing Pearl no longer questions.But the end of her beautiful day signals the beginning of the end of her secure life.Now her family is fleeing their Oklahoma wasteland. Pearl isn''t sure she''ll ever see home or happiness again. Are there any crumbs powerful enough to guide her back to the dependable life she once knew?The strong narrative voice of Finkbeiner''s young protagonist from A Cup of Dust returns in this gritty yet hopeful sequel, sure to please her many fans.

Enjoy all the Pearl Spence Novels1.A Cup of Dust2. A Trail of Crumbs3. A Song of Home"A Trail of Crumbs [is] a novel that elicits feelings that mere words cannot express." - By the Book Reviews

"Susie Finkbeiner never fails to transport her readers through time and space, welcoming us into worlds we never want to leave."--Julie Cantrell, New York Times best-selling author of Into the FreePearl Spence has finally settled into a routine in Bliss, Michigan, far from her home in Red River, Oklahoma. Like all the other kids, she goes to school each day, plays in the woods, and does her chores. But there''s one big difference: Mama is still gone, and doesn''t seem to have a thought for the family she''s left behind.Escaping from her worries is another part of Pearl''s new routine, whether that''s running to Aunt Carrie''s farm, listening to the radio with Ray, or losing herself in a book. In fact, a chair in the stacks, surrounded by books, might be her favorite place on earth--until she discovers swing dancing. The music transports Pearl to a whole other world.When Mama unexpectedly returns, it isn''t the happy occasion Pearl had imagined. Mama is distant and Pearl can''t figure out how to please her. And the horrible way she treats Daddy is more than Pearl can bear. Seems life would be better if Mama would just stay away.Finkbeiner''s portrayal of both tragedy and everyday life in times of great change is charged with a raw beauty that will haunt readers. Fans of inspirational fiction that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you feel as if you''ve finally come home will love A Song of Home and the previous Pearl Spence books. Enjoy all the Pearl Spence Novels1.A Cup of Dust2. A Trail of Crumbs3. A Song of Home"Nobody writes like Susie Finkbeiner, nobody. Her incomparable narrative voice pulls me in, every time." - Katherine Scott Jones, author of Her Memory of Music

A 2020 Michigan Notable Book2020 Christy Award finalist***When Annie Jacobson''s brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know. In Mike''s absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike''s safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.Author Susie Finkbeiner invites you into the Jacobson family''s home and hearts during a time in which the chaos of the outside world touched their small community in ways they never imagined."Finkbeiner''s characters believably navigate the emotional upheaval of war, and she skillfully depicts how the Jacobson''s slowly open up to one another, emerging with greater strength, faith, and mutual respect."--Publishers Weekly"The small-town experience and connect readers deeply to characters who cry, cringe, and are, ultimately, able to rest assured that all will be well."--Booklist, starred review"Susie Finkbeiner''s new novel captures that fraught time with beauty and gentleness. . . . A beautiful, arresting novel."--The Banner

"Susie Finkbeiner has quickly become one of my favorite new storytellers. She brings history to life with engaging plots and delightful characters who you''ll want to cheer for and weep with. Her novels are not to be missed!"--Lynn Austin, author of Chasing ShadowsBetty Sweet never expected to be a widow at 40. With so much life still in front of her, she tries to figure out what''s next. She couldn''t have imagined what God had in mind. When her estranged sister is committed to a sanitarium, Betty finds herself taking on the care of a 5-year-old nephew she never knew she had.In 1960s LaFontaine, Michigan, they make an odd pair. Betty with her pink button nose and bouffant hair. Hugo with his light brown skin and large brown eyes. But more powerful than what makes them different is what they share: the heartache of an empty space in their lives. Slowly, they will learn to trust one another as they discover common ground and healing through the magic of storytelling.Award-winning author Susie Finkbeiner offers fans a novel that invites us to rediscover the power of story to open the doors of our hearts.

"Finkbeiner has deftly written this narrative of ordinary people finding their way, set against a backdrop of global upheaval and war; the characters are realistic and vibrant. Readers looking for realist family stories with a subtle thread of faith . . .will want to read Finkbeiner''s latest."--Library Journal starred review***In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives.Though her father supports Mindy''s desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he''ll lose the daughter he''s poured his heart into. Mindy''s mother undergoes the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy''s sister helps her sort through relics that whisper of the effect the trauma of war has had on their family--but also speak of the beauty of overcoming.Told through three strong voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code."A balanced story that''s rich with nuance and gentle emotions."--Foreword Reviews"Readers who enjoy the work of Karen Kingsbury will want to take a look."--Publishers Weekly

A 2024 Michigan Notable Book"A moving novel, fit for inspiring any reader to dream big and believe that anything is possible."--BookPage***Two sisters discover how much good there is in the world--even in the hardest of circumstancesIt is 1952, and nearly all the girls 16-year-old Bertha Harding knows dream of getting married, keeping house, and raising children in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Bertha dreams of baseball. She reads every story in the sports section, she plays ball with the neighborhood boys--she even writes letters to the pitcher for the Workington Sweet Peas, part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.When Bertha''s father is accused of being part of the Communist Party by the House Un-American Activities Committee, life comes crashing down on them. Disgraced and shunned, the Hardings move to a small town to start over where the only one who knows them is shy Uncle Matthew. But dreams are hard to kill, and when Bertha gets a chance to try out for the Workington Sweet Peas, she packs her bags for an adventure she''ll never forget.Join award-winning author Susie Finkbeiner for a summer of chasing down your dreams and discovering the place you truly belong.***"Finkbeiner excels at illuminating history and the human condition through the voices of young people. Fans of the 1992 movie A League of Their Own will enjoy this, as will readers of women''s fiction."--Library Journal"In the vivid, episodic historical novel The All-American, a family targeted by McCarthy-era hysteria grows closer while they''re awaiting justice; their dreams are kept alive despite the intrigue that ensnares them."--Foreword Reviews

1975: Die vierjährige Minh wird durch eine Hilfsorganisation aus dem vom Krieg erschütterten Vietnam in eine neue Welt gebracht – nach Amerika, wo Linda und Bruce sie voller Liebe aufnehmen. Als Erwachsene fasst sie den Entschluss, auf die Suche nach ihren Wurzeln zu gehen. Ihre Adoptiveltern lassen sie schweren Herzens ziehen. Wird Minh zurückkehren? Oder verlieren sie ihre Tochter für immer?Eine zutiefst bewegende Geschichte über Familie, Identität und die heilende Kraft der Liebe – die stark genug ist, loszulassen und dennoch zu verbinden.