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Brenda K. Thompson

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Born
in Boone, NC, The United States
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Member Since
August 2017


I’m the Grand Prize-winning author of Alice Anyway, Ivaleena, and A Feedsack Dress for Sadie—emotionally resonant Appalachian novels exploring resilience, self-discovery, and belonging. My stories are written to be lived in, drawing readers into immersive worlds where the pages turn quickly, even as the ending is never quite desired.

My debut novel, Alice Anyway, was named the First Place Grand Prize Winner for Fiction in the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, where it also won First Novel (70,000–90,000 words) and was named a finalist in Female Empowerment. The novel became a #1 Amazon Bestseller in Women’s Historical Fiction, Historical Literary Fiction, and Women’s Literary Fiction. Readers have called my work “a gifted writer with a
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Brenda K. Thompson If I had sold everything except the few things needed for a life living aboard a sailboat, would I be alive today?
Brenda K. Thompson Hi Paul, The Glens is a fictitious place, but it’s meant to echo the spirit of the Appalachian Mountain region. The Appalachian Trail itself is a shad…moreHi Paul, The Glens is a fictitious place, but it’s meant to echo the spirit of the Appalachian Mountain region. The Appalachian Trail itself is a shady footpath winding for more than 2,000 miles, and I’ve only walked short sections of it. In 2012, though, I walked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago across northern Spain—all by myself!

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Average rating: 4.63 · 1,579 ratings · 99 reviews · 5 distinct worksSimilar authors
A Feed Sack Dress for Sadie

4.68 avg rating — 963 ratings3 editions
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Alice Anyway

4.58 avg rating — 492 ratings3 editions
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Ivaleena

4.47 avg rating — 124 ratings5 editions
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Child H

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IVALEENA

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More books by Brenda K. Thompson…

Alice’s Journey Continues With You

Some stories never really leave us. Alice Anyway has been that kind of story for me.

I leave Alice in your hands, the hands of those who will read her, those who may love her. But I will admit, it is hard for me to let her go. She has walked so closely with me that she feels woven into my own soul.

She has been part of my daily life, keeping me awake at night, pulling me from sleep at odd hours to t Read more of this blog post »
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Published on September 19, 2025 03:46 Tags: alice-anyway, historical-fiction, literary-fiction, women-s-literary-fiction
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Brenda’s Recent Updates

Alice Anyway by Brenda K. Thompson
"A beautifully crafted story of heartbreak and hope

I was enjoying the book already. Then I read this one sentence and couldn't put it down - "Up on the ridge, the hemlocks swayed, their needles whispering secrets to the morning." Alice's story will to" Read more of this review »
A Feed Sack Dress for Sadie by Brenda K. Thompson
"Never Judge a Book by Its (Terrible) Title

I’m not proud of it, but that was my exact thought when A Feed Sack for Sadie first crossed my radar. The title felt so completely uninspired that I assumed the writing inside would be just as flat. After all" Read more of this review »
A Feed Sack Dress for Sadie by Brenda K. Thompson
"It was simple and yet so much more. It brought tears and peace. Going to read another by her. "
Alice Anyway by Brenda K. Thompson
"I wish I could give this 10 stars! This book spoke to my soul. Amazing must read; especially for anyone trying to find her way back to herself. Incredible!"
Brenda Thompson added a status update: Writing from Costa Rica today, where I’m deep in the work of Child H. Hannah’s story keeps asking for quiet, careful pages. I’m following her one scene at a time and looking forward to sharing the novel with readers this October.
Alice Anyway by Brenda K. Thompson
" Thank you, Regina. Your words are so kind and appreciated. Brenda "
Brenda Thompson started reading
A Feed Sack Dress for Sadie by Brenda K. Thompson
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A Feed Sack Dress for Sadie by Brenda K. Thompson
" Reader words like this mean everything. Thank you, Amber, for spending time with Sadie. "
A Feed Sack Dress for Sadie by Brenda K. Thompson
" Thank you for your words, Kathryn. I fell in love with Sadie as I wrote her story. It was hard to end it. "
More of Brenda's books…
Quotes by Brenda K. Thompson  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Grief lingered. Her toes clung to the crumbling edge… The wind would carry her, or it
wouldn’t. The water would catch her, or it wouldn’t. Either way, it didn’t really matter.”
Brenda K. Thompson, Alice Anyway

“I want to raise a son… one who’ll grow up strong in the Lord, who’ll carry the Whitlow
name with pride… but what if it’s a girl?”
Brenda K. Thompson, Alice Anyway

“Have you ever wondered what it means to belong to someone?” he asked.
“A woman needs a covering.”
Brenda K. Thompson, Alice Anyway

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
2026 Reading Chal...: * Q3 - Build Your Own Hall of Fame: Global Glory 65 101 Aug 16, 2026 08:10PM  
“Grief lingered. Her toes clung to the crumbling edge… The wind would carry her, or it
wouldn’t. The water would catch her, or it wouldn’t. Either way, it didn’t really matter.”
Brenda K. Thompson, Alice Anyway

“…a woman’s home ought to reflect her obedience, not just her effort.”
Brenda K. Thompson, Alice Anyway

“I want to raise a son… one who’ll grow up strong in the Lord, who’ll carry the Whitlow
name with pride… but what if it’s a girl?”
Brenda K. Thompson, Alice Anyway

“Have you ever wondered what it means to belong to someone?” he asked.
“A woman needs a covering.”
Brenda K. Thompson, Alice Anyway

“If youth is the season of hope, it is often so only in the sense that our elders are hopeful about us; for no age is so apt as youth to think its emotions, partings, and resolves are the last of their kind. Each crisis seems final, simply because it is new. We are told that the oldest inhabitants in Peru do not cease to be agitated by the earthquakes, but they probably see beyond each shock, and reflect that there are plenty more to come.”
George Eliot, Middlemarch

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