From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a life-changing holiday tale of love and hope after heartbreak. Two years after the car accident that took Erin Baxter’s life, her father, John Baxter, still lives in constant grief. John’s heartbreak prompts him to invite Kendra Bryant, the transplant recipient who now has Erin’s heart, to Christmas Eve dinner despite protests from his remaining children. Ashley and Luke want to protect their ten-year-old niece who is the only surviving child of Erin’s, but John remains determined and believes that meeting this woman is something his deceased daughter would want. Meanwhile, Kendra Bryant is struggling to come to terms with the tragedy that gave her a second chance. It is only when she witnesses the Baxter’s unwavering faith in God that she begins to heal and allow peace and happiness back into her life. At the same time, Maddie West, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Brooke Baxter West, continues to pray for meaning this Christmas. When she discovers a newfound friendship with a boy she never expected to see again, she begins to believe in miracles, especially around Christmastime. A Baxter Family Christmas is a heartwarming story that brings together two families in the midst of tragedy and loss, all with the help one very special child.
Three Page-Turning Novels in One Volume! Where Yesterday Lives Ellen Barrett is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist with an uncertain marriage, a forgotten faith, and haunting memories of her picturesque hometown and the love she left behind. The eldest of five siblings, she longs for the time, long ago, when they were a happy family. Now Ellen’s beloved father is dead, and she returns to her childhood home to make peace–with the people who still live there, with the losses and changes that time has wrought, and with the future God has set before her. When Joy Came to Stay Maggie Stovall is one of the golden people. She has it all together...at least on the surface. Ben Stovall is a godly husband and successful attorney. He has no idea of the darkness about to overtake his life. Amanda Joy is a child of society–abused, broken, thrown away. But her trust in God is still alive. When Joy Came to Stay is the heart-wrenching story of one woman’s descent into the shadows of depression, her husband’s search for understanding, and a precious child’s unwavering faith. On Every Side Faith Evans is an up-and-coming newscaster, a woman of honor and integrity who must take a stand against the one man she never imagined would be her enemy. A beloved, hundred-year-old statue of Jesus stands in a small-town park–but some say it’s a clear violation of separation of church and state that must come down. Jordan Riley is a powerful attorney fighting for human rights and against God, but still reckoning with bitter boyhood losses. Amid political intrigue, social injustice, and personal conflicts, will love be enough when the battle rages on every side? What Readers Are Saying About KAREN KINGSBURY Fiction… “All–and I do mean all–of Karen Kingsbury’s books have touched my spiritual life in a deep way. I have recommended her books to men and women alike!” –Debbie, Marana, AZ “Karen Kingsbury’s Christian fiction is the standard by which I judge all Christian fiction.” –Robin, Fairfax, VA “Karen Kingsbury is our book club’s favorite author. We often discuss how each of her novels not only entertain us, but inspire us to live out our faith in a real, everyday, every moment way.” –Lynda, Covington, WA “Karen’s books never cease to amaze me. After reading one, I not only feel connected to the characters and the events, I feel I’ve walked in the presence of Christ and He’s spoken mightily to me. I always cry when I finish one…tears of good-bye to the friends I’ve come to love and tears of thankfulness to my heavenly Father. I can’ t wait to read the next one!” –Linda, Batavia, IL Story Behind the Book Each of my novels is a piece of my heart. Where Yesterday Lives was my first-ever novel, and as such it is somewhat autobiographical. The childhood story of Ellen Barrett, her love for her parents and siblings, is my story–though her current story and struggles are fictional. On Every Side sheds light on the struggle for religious freedom in today’s climate, something I am passionate about. Finally, When Joy Came to Stay is the story of one woman’s battle against depression and the secrets of her past.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Sarah Fisher! Science raises questions only hope and faith can answer in this instant New York Times bestselling “tale of forgiveness and love” (Woman’s World) from Karen Kingsbury. One frozen embryo. Two families with life-long secrets. And a guy who never planned to fall in love again. Maddie Baxter West is shaken to the core when she finds out everything she believed about her life was a lie. Her parents had always planned to tell her the truth about her past: that she was adopted as an embryo. But somehow the right moment never happened. Then a total stranger confronts Maddie with the truth and tells her something else that rocks her world—Maddie had a sister she never knew about. Betrayed, angry, and confused, Maddie leaves her new job and fiancé, rejects her family’s requests for forgiveness, and moves to Portland to find out who she really is. Dawson Gage’s life was destroyed when London Quinn, his best friend and the only girl he ever loved, is killed. In the hospital waiting room, London’s mother reveals that London might have had a sibling. The frozen embryo she and her husband donated decades ago. When Dawson finds Maddie and brings her to Portland, the Quinns—her biological parents—welcome her into their lives and hearts. Maddie is comforted by the Quinns’ love and intrigued by their memories of London, who was so much like her. Is this the family and the life she was really meant to have? Now it will take the love of Dawson Gage to help Maddie know who she is...and to help her find her way home.
Asked to share the story of his decades-long marriage to the wife he lost to cancer, a reluctant John Baxter reflects on the secret heartbreak that bonded them together while a family friend pursues a second chance in the wake of a difficult breakup.
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Baxter Family novels—now a TV series—comes a heart-wrenching and redemptive story about a couple desperately waiting to bring their adopted child home and a young mother about to make the biggest decision of her life—a story about love, faith, and what it really means to be a family. Cole Blake, son of Landon and Ashley Baxter Blake, is months away from going off to college to kickstart the great plan he has been dreaming about for years—a career in medicine. But as he starts his final semester of school he meets Elise, a mysterious new girl who captures his attention—and heart—from day one. Elise has her heart set on mending her wild ways and becoming the good girl she used to be. But not long after the semester starts, she discovers she’s pregnant. Eighteen and alone, she shares her secret with Cole. Undaunted by the news, and in love for the first time in his life, Cole is determined to support Elise—even if it means skipping college so he can marry her and raise another man’s baby. When Elise decides to give the baby up for adoption, she is matched with Aaron and Lucy Williams, who moved to Bloomington, Indiana, in the hope of escaping the loss and emptiness that seven painful years of trying to start a family has brought them. But as her due date draws near, Elise becomes more and more torn. She knows she has two weeks after the birth of her daughter to change her mind. With Cole keeping vigil and Lucy and Aaron waiting to welcome their new baby, Elise makes an unexpected decision—one that changes everyone’s plans.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a “heart tugging and emotional” story in the Baxter Family collection that will “touch readers deeply” (RT Book Reviews) featuring two people who lost their parents in the same national tragedy—two people desperate to find each other and the connection they shared for a single day…that changed everything. Brady Bradshaw was a child when the Oklahoma City bombing killed his mother. Every year, Brady visits the memorial site on the anniversary to remember her. Eleven years ago on that day, he met Jenna Phillips, who was also a child when her parents were killed in the attack. Brady and Jenna shared a deep heart connection and a single beautiful day together at the memorial. But after that, Brady never saw Jenna again. Every year when he returns, he leaves a note for her in hopes that he might find her again. This year, Ashley Baxter Blake and her sister Kari Baxter Taylor and their families take a spring break trip that includes a visit to the site to see the memorial’s famous Survivor Tree. While there, Ashley spots a young man, alone and troubled. That man is Brady Bradshaw. A chance moment leads Ashley to help Brady find Jenna, the girl he can’t forget. Ashley’s family is skeptical, but she pushes them to support her efforts to find the girl and bring them together. But will it work? Will her husband, Landon, understand her intentions? And is a shared heartache enough reason to fall in love? With To The Moon and Back “Kingsbury skillfully weaves a tale of divine love” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) in an unlikely love story about healing, redemption, hope, and the belief that sometimes a new tomorrow can grow from the ashes of a shattered yesterday. “Kingsbury writes with seemingly effortless poetic elegance, capturing the tender, intimate moments of daily family life as well as heart-wrenching flashbacks to fatal tragedy. A moving story of survival, of faith, and of beauty from the ashes” (Booklist).
“I’m afraid there’s been a car accident...” As Hannah Ryan waits for her family to return home from a camping trip, she realizes she has everything going for her—a husband other women admire, two charming teenage daughters, and a loving Christian home. As the sunny afternoon turns into twilight, her uneasiness grows along with the shadows. Then a car pulls into Hannah’s driveway, bringing two police officers...and devastating news that shatters her life forever. In the days that follow, Hannah struggles with unspeakable feelings of sorrow and rage—feelings that fuse into one chilling purpose for living: revenge against Brian Wesley, the drunk driver who has caused all her pain. In her fury, Hannah shuts the Lord out of her life. She’s determined not to forgive Wesley or the God who allowed this tragedy to happen. Can two caring people help Hannah rediscover her faith...before bitterness destroys her?
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a classic story about second chances, featuring the beloved Baxter family and a young father who finds his whole world turned upside down on the eve of his divorce. What if you could see into the future and know what will happen tomorrow, if you really walk out that door today. Pay attention. Life is not a dress rehearsal. From their first meeting, to their stunning engagement and lavish wedding, to their happily-ever-after, Noah and Emily Carter seemed meant to be. They have a special kind of love—and they want the world to know. More than a million adoring fans have followed their lives on Instagram since the day Noah publicly proposed to Emily. But behind the carefully staged photos and encouraging posts, their life is anything but a fairytale, and Noah’s obsession with social media has ruined everything. Distraught, Emily reaches out to her friend Kari Baxter Taylor and tells her the truth: Noah and Emily have decided to call it quits. He is leaving in the morning. But when Noah wakes the next day, everything is different. Emily is gone and the kids are years older. Like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, bizarre and strange events continue throughout the night so that Noah is certain he’s twenty years older, and he is desperate for a second chance. Now it would take a miracle to return to yesterday. When We Were Young is a rare and beautiful love story that takes place in a single day. It’s about knowing what tomorrow will bring if you really walk out that door today—and the gift of being able to choose differently.
