Til I Want No More

?Pearson?s excellent characters and plotting capture the complexity and beauty of family. . . . Pearson rises to another level with this excellent story.? ?Publishers Weekly starred reviewWhen the man she loved years ago returns to town, one young woman?s complicated past rises again, threatening to expose her well-kept secrets.If Maxine could put her finger on the moment when her life went into a tailspin, she would point back twenty years to the day her daddy died. She tells herself he?s the only person who ever really knew and loved her, and if he hadn?t left her behind, her future would?ve taken a different path. No absentee mother, no stepfather, no rebellious ripping and running during her teenage years. And no JD, who gave her wandering young heart a home, at least for a time.But that?s over and done with. All grown-up now, Maxine has pledged her heart and ring finger to Theodore Charles, the man she?ll promise to love, honor, and obey in front of God and everybody. At least that?s what she?s telling anybody who will listen. The only folks buying it are the dog and the readers of her column, however. Her best friend and family aren?t having it?not even Celeste, the double bass-playing thirteen-year-old the community of Mount Laurel, North Carolina, believes is Maxine?s adopted sister. And apparently, neither is the newly returned JD, who seems intent on toppling Maxine?s reconstructed life. As her wedding day marches ever closer, Maxine confronts what it means to be really known and loved by examining what?s buried in her own heart and exposing truth that has never seen the light of day.A Christian fiction novel with a poignant story of romance, a search for truth, and a journey to redemption. For fans of Chris Fabry, Lauren Denton, and Charles Martin. Review Starred review. Pearson (A Long Time Comin?) delivers a satisfying tale of one woman?s secrets returning to haunt her. Maxine Owens is preparing for her wedding to Theodore Charles when she decides it?s time for her to come clean about a secret she?s been keeping from Theodore and his family: Maxine?s 13-year-old adopted sister, Celeste, is actually her daughter. Maxine, who was 17 and unprepared for motherhood, gave up rights to Celeste, and even Celeste still believes Maxine is her sister. . . . Pearson?s excellent characters and plotting capture the complexity and beauty of family, the difficulty of rectifying mistakes, and the healing that comes from honesty. Pearson rises to another level with this excellent story.Publishers WeeklyTheodore is kind and loving, the kind of man that columnist Maxine should settle down with. Even her mother approves of him. But Maxine fights to maintain control of her feelings amid her premarital counseling sessions with Theodore?and the return of her teenage love, JD, whose presence threatens to destroy her future with Theodore and expose secrets that she has concealed for a long time. Emotional scenes reveal key events from Maxine?s childhood and turbulent teenage years, when she felt unwanted. These early experiences contributed to her decision to settle down with Theodore before she?d properly dealt with her past, but grown-up Maxine sometimes still feels unworthy. The novel also includes Maxine?s articles about her family life, upcoming wedding plans and relationship with Theodore, adding another layer of context to Maxine?s life as the drama unfolds. With help from her community, Maxine learns that by confronting her tangled past, she can face her future and discover her true self. Uplifting faith-based messages are included throughout, and the story?s easy pace allows time to take in each lessonBookpage Review This brilliantly written story reminds us that God is bigger than the struggles that all families face, yet as a woman of color, I love that Robin?s courageous characters look and sound like me.Barb Roose, speaker and author of Surrendered: Letting Go and