A Million Reasons Why (by Jessica Strawser)
It looks like I’m on a mission to read every book Jessica Strawser has written. A Million Reasons Why is the third of hers I’ve read this year, leaving just two more to complete her full catalog. I love how each of her novels feels distinct, yet she consistently delivers stories rich with emotion and heart.
A Million Reasons Why is a family drama that revolves around the lives of two women whose paths cross unexpectedly through a mail-in DNA test. Caroline, a seemingly happy and settled wife and mother of three, finds her life turned upside down when a DNA test result challenges everything she believed. On the other side of this revelation is Sela, a woman battling advanced kidney disease and desperately seeking a donor match to survive. As the two women embark on an unfamiliar journey, their roles undergo unexpected transformations that neither could have anticipated.
Jessica’s writing shines with just the right amount of suspense, making it difficult to stop at the end of a chapter. The alternating perspectives between Caroline and Sela kept me fully immersed and eager to discover what would happen next. I also learned a great deal about kidney disease, dialysis, and organ donation—topics that added depth and realism to the story. My heart truly broke for Sela.
Near the end, the story seemed to hit a fast-forward button. For me, it was a bit jarring to pick the book back up and feel like the story had moved forward without me. It could just be a coincidence of where I happened to stop reading, but I found myself slowing down at times to fully digest the characters' decisions rather than savor the last moments of the book.
It took me two weeks to finish this book — much longer than I anticipated. I was immediately drawn into the story and could easily read 50 pages at a time, always eager to get back to it. But life got a little busy, and a day or so would pass without me picking it up. Then I noticed I was procrastinating, or just not feeling motivated to return to it. I finally realized the subject matter is quite heavy emotionally, which made it harder to gather the motivation to keep reading. Eventually, I sat myself down and pushed through the final 50 pages or so.
The ending was satisfying, and I appreciate Jessica wrapping up the story so thoroughly. For this book, it's nice to know how everything works out without ambiguity.
Linked below are my reviews for other books by Jessica Strawser and author events.
This season, my husband and I grew Datura plants from seed. We were thrilled to successfully grow several plants and have loved catching their nightly blooms. The stunning purple and white flowers first open at night and then last for a couple of days.
Photo credit to my husband: lostthepath.com
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