The Tin Box

by Holly Kennedy

Growing up, Kenly Lowen's life was shaped around a widowed alcoholic father who made it clear that he never wanted her in the first place. She emerged from childhood determined to find happiness. Today, at thirty-two, Kenly has a husband and a son who mean the world to her; the kind of life she always dreamed of having.

When her closest childhood friend dies, Kenly is given an old tin box they once shared - a tin box they hid on the roof of a tree house fifteen years earlier. Inside is a secret she has kept for years. To reveal it could end her marriage and shatter her world, but can she continue to shoulder the weight of years of silence?

Kenly's is a story filled with heartbreak, tragedy, and hope. In a small town filled with hidden treasures, young Kenly discovers people who change her life. From terminally ill Tommy, who loves her, to old Max, who shows her that a fire pit is sometimes the best medicine, to edgy Lexie, who believes life should be lived, The Tin Box will take Kenly on an unforgettable journey. The decision she finally makes will test the ties that bind people together against a wound that could tear them apart.

The Tin Box is an achingly beautiful novel of one woman's desire to save all that she loves while honoring the past that made her into the woman she is.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Under "recent updates" below I've listed some of my favorite books and gave them each 5 bright stars because I admired them so much.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every so often I will take a break from reviewing new and upcoming releases and browse through the titles in our stacks to discover something that I had read about and stocked for our store, but not personally read myself. Sometimes these discoveries turn out to be interesting finds. Some quite enjoyable, others merely a pleasant diversion. Every once in awhile I stumble across an undiscovered gem. One that absolutely takes my breath away and touches a place in my heart I know I'll never forget. The Tin Box is such a gem.

full review can be found here:

http://simplepleasuresbooks.wordpress...

[Rita Chaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tin Box is a riveting, emotional tale about a girl name Kenly. From the beginning, the author, Holly Kennedy, pulled me in quickly by revealing some of Kenly's thoughts about a heart-breaking dilemma she was facing. Then, the book shifted back to Kenly's troubled childhood. As the saga continued, I realized I loved this character who possessed determination, bravery, and incredible resilience.

This story grabbed me from page one and wouldn't let go. I couldn't predict what was going to happen next and that fact kept me involved. In summary, The Tin Box is well-written, engaging, and worth a read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read that was good. A bit overdone, kinda like the movie Mask with a twist. I found myself getting annoyed with the main character and was disappointed other characters weren't as developed as they could have been.

[Vikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first novel of a supposedly up and coming author. Midway through this book, I began to not like it because I felt the heroine, who had been a great girl-turned bad. She did not tell the real father of her baby boy that he was the father. So I guess she was not bad, just wrong-maybe. But today, I am feeling like we all do wrong. All people are bad and good. So I have changed my mind about the book. Maybe it was just right on. I did love the book actually. A girl with a tough life met a best friend with a deformed body. He is the father of her child. Very good book.

[Kp89dc2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. It was about life and living with the choices we make. It was about forgiveness...forgiving others and ourselves. The characters are developed in a way that most of us can easily identify with them. I can't say enough about this book. If you haven't read it...it's a must. Just be prepared for tears at the end.

[Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Holly Kennedy's debut novel. It is a poignant story of love, forgiveness, and the ability of the human spirit to rise above itself. I couldn't put it down. One will cheer for Kenly and her extended family. It treats with love, betrayal, and secrets and what they do to families and to one's own sense of honor.

[Heymi K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very emotional book! It made me love my life and also taught me that it could always be worst and to smile everyday. There is good build up to the ending. This is not your typical love story, not the type where you know the ending. This is real life love, the kind that involves sacrifice and forgiveness.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about this book from a TLC program about Proteus Syndrome. Intrigued, I picked it up (from Abe-Books) and read it this year. I enjoyed it, although it did make me shed a few tears.... A great novel indeed.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book to find out the secret, but once I started reading I was pulled into it. We all make mistakes. In a split second, you could make the wrong choice. How do you fix it without hurting everyone? I really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh and cry.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of life, love, and lessons - one of the most important of those lessons being forgiveness. It was a very nice story. I enjoy Holly Kennedy's writing style. Her writing is very real...like it could be about someone you know.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I was pleasantly suprised by this book. I wasn't expecting much but I got a very emotional and powerful story of love and perseverance. An easy and enjoyable book that I'm very happy to have stumbled upon!

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I was so caught up in Kenly's life...her ups and downs, her relationship with her dad, and her needing to be loved. Tommy was a wonderful character, so full of life, even though he knew that his would be cut short.

A very good story that I would highly recommend to anyone.

[Tova · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional story, written by a new author. I read the book in a day, and was engrossed right up until the end!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little sappy, a little predictable, but a quick, easy read.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds us that we are all human and make mistakes we either learn to live with or deal with. Tommy had a outlook on life alot of us could learn to live by.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

301 pages. This book was loaned to me by a friend from Sunday School. It was not exactly the story I expected. This story was about a high school girl named Kenly who moves to a new town in Canada with her alcoholic father. She makes friends with neighbors and meets a boy named Tommy who has a genetic health issue. They become great friends and share many things at a firepit each evening. She also spends time with him in his treehouse. Her father's condition gets worse and he commits suicide. She stays with friends there and later goes on to college to be near her paternal grandmother. Her own mom had died in a car wreck, she later learned was caused by her father's drunk driving. She meets a new man at the business she is interning and they both fall in love. It was really full of sad turmoil and drama, but the ending really makes you think about life and how the truth can really set you free or ruin someone else's life...interesting and haunting.

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simply put: as a child-free, bigger person I didn't enjoy this book. Admittedly, if it wasn't for BookCrossing.com and being sent the book to read, I wouldn't have even glanced at it for potential reading, so not the author's fault there. I'd guessed at events way before the characters discovered in the novel, it went on too long yet the ending was too short. I'm not saying I hated it, just that it was 'ok'. I'm glad to have finished it for My year of reading's sakes.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on a free shelf in my airport. Before starting, I didn't really have any expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised.

I quite enjoyed the timeline of this story, and also, being from Alberta originally, I loved that it was set in a little town outside of Edmonton.

A great light read.

[Ye'Vell Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I wasn't drawn to it, in the sense that I couldn't put it down, but it was definitely worth finishing. An awesome reminder that we all fail and we all require forgiveness...the giver as well as the recipient.

[Linda Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story

I thought the characters were realistic and the story well written. I enjoyed this book and the story touched my heart.

[Maureen Neylon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covered so many topics - family, alcoholism, friendship, illness, independence. Totalitarian understood the choice Keely made about her child but so bittersweet.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed with the ending but all in all it was a good read.

[Nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was great but the ending just seemed to drop. Almost like the author decided that was enough pages.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! For a debut novel, this was excellent! I could kick myself for not reading it sooner. I’ll definitely be looking for the rest of her books!

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Kennedy touched my soul with this novel, it's a beautiful story

[Estelle]

Read in French: 'La boîte aux Secrets'.

[Cassie Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reread from long ago.

[Denise Gobble · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book.

[Tricia Cassavaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 Made me cry