Description:
A filigree setting for every family secret. When the third generation aims for a cache of treasure, someone is expendable. Richardson and Gail Finch had designs for a lifetime, carrying consequences neither one bargained for.
Brief description: The award-winning author's first book was the memoir, MISTER B: Living With a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist, Lynn Byk graduated from Colorado Christian University with a double degree in Bible and Contemporary Composition. She has facilitated the Capture Books writers group for 20 years.
Review Quotes:
Five-Star, Readers' Favorite, 2024 "Rich, meticulous descriptions draw readers into the hardscrabble existence of the Hudson family, making the environment as much a character as the people themselves. Byk's writing is rich with historical detail and emotional depth, capturing the pulse of the era with vividness."
"Some families leave legacies of positivity and gifts. Others leave behind angst and confusion. Lynn Byk writes with a lyrical hand that captures passion and emotion with equal aplomb." - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
BookLife Prize: "Alluring and convincing, this multigenerational work has an unusual premise and there's a grandness to the scope. . . An epic accomplishment."
"With over 700 book entries to compete against, being a 2023 winner is certainly something to crow about - you beat out many contenders." - David Hearne, Editor In Chief, PenCraft Book Awards
"ELSIE FINCH is brave and startlingly candid; her character is lodged in my heart of hearts. She gives us all permission to delve into our own complex family dynamics." - Kathy Hoffner, Editor
AuthorsReading: "The Fearless Moral Inventory of Elsie Finch is an illuminating memoir that reveals life secrets with vibrant narrative prose. Every page of this nuanced account of the multigenerational family comes alive with the force of history, the wonder of place, friends, and strangers that shaped the author's sensibilities. The author captures family life's oddities and pain with frankness, sharpness, and a sly-witted style. The palpable tension doesn't let up in this character-driven story."
Donovan's Literary Services: "Byk builds her story with the passionate search for God's will and mounting tensions in the story of evolving personality disorders that ripple across the landscape of America. Collectors looking for literary novels will find The Fearless Moral Inventory of Elsie Finch is replete with thought-provoking moments. But it's the book club group that will find Elsie Finch certain to spark a variety of soul-searching conversations about faith, family, and the evolution of both." - D. Donovan, Editor
"It's a long healing for Elsie, as most of ours are. But in this courageous, unblinking portrayal of the human condition, Elsie gradually discovers truth, forgiveness, and hope practical and relevant to Christians and non-Christians alike. It's unconventional, this book-and the characters are still giving me pause." - Cheryl Bostrom, Author of SUGAR BIRDS
"THE FEARLESS MORAL INVENTORY OF ELSIE FINCH by Lynn Byk is a bold, brutally honest multigenerational family saga that also offers opportunities for introspection on matters regarding family relationships and how our actions influence and impact others around us. The story also offers important discussions about how dysfunction, trauma, and personality disorders affect a family. Readers will benefit from its many essential life lessons including its deft coverage of the effects of parental favoritism and sibling rivalry. Lynn Byk's compelling novel is a remarkable work, cleverly written." - Edith Wairimu, Readers' Favorite
"The timeline is perfect, and the pace, remarkable. The Fearless Moral Inventory of Elsie Finch is riveting and fascinating. I was obsessed with this story and highly recommend it." - Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite