The Fearless Moral Inventory of Elsie Finch - Hardcover

by Lynn Byk (Author), Kathy Hoffner (Editor), Sandy Fisher (Editor)

There's a filigree setting for every family secret.

Richard and Gail Finch designed their estate to carry consequences for misplaced loyalties over a lifetime, but there were consequences neither bargained for. When the third generation aims for a cache of treasure, someone is expendable.

What Elsie covets is the truth. Risking it all, she unfolds her parents' legacy to reveal the spoiling and calculated detachments. Then her father dies leaving her sister alone in a dilapidated house with recorded notebooks to decipher.

Untying the family Finch saga with Mother's blistering tales, Elsie's own timeline helps them unravel layers of animosity and motives for the punishments that created full-blown personality disorders. Richardson and Gail's unscrupulous affections span the geography of San Francisco Bay, Phoenix Arizona, Oklahoma City, and finally slip into the shadow of the Rockies. Will someone pay for the past? Who wins in this long game, and what remains?

Praise for Elsie Finch

"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."

"Being a winner is certainly something to crow about - you beat out over 700 contenders for your Christian Fiction Award." - 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 with frankness, sharpness, and a sly-witted style. The palpable tension doesn't let up in this character-driven story."

Donovan's Literary Services: "Collectors looking for literary novels will find The Fearless Moral Inventory of Elsie Finch is replete with thought-provoking moments" - 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. 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. Readers will benefit from 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 work of a peacemaker is not easy. The narrative is soothing, the timeline is perfect, and the pace, remarkable. I was obsessed with this story and highly recommend it." - Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite