Being Known - Robin Jones Gunn

From the bestselling author of Becoming Us comes a novel that asks: What does it mean to be truly known? In a marriage, in a friendship, or by a loving God?

The first few lines of a book can often tell you much.  Being Known starts like this: ‘Whenever I close my eyes and think of my mother, I see her red toenails. Her perfectly manicured toes flaunting her signature nail-polish color, Oh My, Cherry Pie.’  I immediately feel disconnected. I come from a line of women for whom toenail polish has never been important! Yet I am completely engaged by the end of the first page, because the description of ‘alone’ is written so powerfully.  

Jennalyn has a beautiful home, two young children and a husband she loves but who works very long hours leaving the burden of raising their kids more and more heavily on Jennalyn. Struggling with grief over the death of her mother, she unexpectedly meets old flame Garrett, and the two start chatting online. As her connection with Garrett increases she begins to question decisions she’s made in the past. But is she risking her entire future? Meanwhile Jennalyn’s friend Beth has got tangled up in a messy relationship herself. Both women will have to face the truth about what they are doing, but will it be in time?  

This is a great summer read, involving, interesting, and thought-provoking.  The friendship of the five girlfriends is lovely and makes you either long for similar friends or be very thankful for those you have!  This is a straightforward read, but it doesn’t shy away from showing that being a Christian doesn’t always mean you make the right choices.  This is book 2 in the Haven Makers series, and I’ll now read book 1 to find out more about this group of friends.

9780734290778, Waterbrook Press, Published May 2020 (UK).

For transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.