Thank You For All Things

"A beautiful, witty story that rings with heartbreak, hope and laughter…"

Sandra Kring, beloved author of the critically acclaimed CARRY ME HOME and book club favorite THE BOOK OF BRIGHT IDEAS enlists Lucy McGowan, age eleven, to share the stories of her family’s thorny history and of an unexpectedly illuminating journey back home…

Lucy McGowan wants two things in life: to learn about human nature first-hand and to fill the empty space in her life where a father should be. Both quests seem unattainable, until tragedy forces her family to leave their Chicago apartment and return to her mother’s childhood home in Timber Falls, Wisconsin.

Along with her “profoundly gifted” twin brother, Milo, Lucy quickly takes to small town life: reveling in nature, learning how to ride a bike, and—perhaps most importantly—pumping the locals for information about the father she has never known. Dissatisfied by what she’s able to coax out of others, however, Lucy takes matters into her own hands… the heartbreaking truths she discovers revealing just how easy it is to be terrified of the future when you've not let go of the past.

A sharply drawn, bittersweet first-person narrative, THANK YOU FOR ALL THINGS illustrates that when it comes to matters of family and love, often it is the innocent who force others to confront their darkest secrets.

"…Kring’s brilliance lies in her powerful reversals and revelations, taking readers and characters on a dramatic, emotional roller coaster."
-- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Thank You for All Things, an intelligent, involving story about a family haunted by violence, physical and emotional."
-- The Boston Globe

"Kring explores the far-ranging effects of family trauma with a deft hand as her child narrator uncovers the past, bringing light and hope. A touching novel."
-- Booklist

"Sandra Kring's delightful and nuanced take on Midwestern America in Thank You for All Things feels real and moving -- perhaps because it is so unpretentious."
-- Salon.com