"The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip" by Sara Brunsvold

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip (July 5, 2022) by Sara Brunsvold.*

A young reporter ready for a front-page assignment oversteps her bounds. A terminally ill septuagenarian with metastasized cancer is a lover of chocolate chip cookies. Both are women of faith, but Clara Kip’s is as strong as she is cheerful, spunky and compassionate. Aidyn Kelly’s is subtle, quieted by her career in the newsroom, as newsrooms “aren’t exactly harbors of faith.” As punishment, Aidyn is assigned to interview Clara so she can write her obituary. While the first visits are fraught with tension and awkwardness (all on Aidyn’s part), Aidyn’s creativity eventually shines through as she invents “extraordinary deaths” for Clara. As her life has been extraordinary, Clara feels her death should be, too. Cancer is not an extraordinary death, but “During a test run of the latest AF-40 prototype, Kip was thrown from the bike after swerving to avoid a fox kit that had wandered onto the track” is. When Aidyn hears the name Mai Khab and begins to ask those questions about Clara’s past, an entire, life-altering story emerges. Helping to resettle Laotian refugees in Kansas City after the Vietnam War was no small feat, and that story might be the feature that pulls Aidyn out of the mire she’s gotten herself into. Clara’s “exceedingly unimpressive” life has actually been anything but.

            The title drew me to the story, and I am pleased that I read it. Clara truly does have an “indelible vibrancy” that is inspiring and uplifting, even as she knows she’s ebbing closer to meeting her Maker. Aidyn’s obvious lack of visiting anyone in hospice (or any care facility) annoyed me, even as I’m sure it’s not uncommon for young people to not visit such places unless they have a close relative in one, but I rooted for her character to embrace bold, outgoing, vivacious Clara. The novel carries prominent themes of faith and grace (whereas in other inspirational fiction novels those themes can be really subtle), and it is a winsome choice for voracious readers of inspirational fiction. This character-driven story is mostly positive despite one protagonist nearing her end-of-life. Additionally, the inclusion of a backstory with refugees is evergreen and will resonate with readers in our present time. Some may find that the backstory of other aspects of Clara’s past slow the story down, but I found the story to read overall swiftly.

 

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly 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.”