The Things I Know Best

by Lynne Hinton

Haunting memories, a love affair, and a tragic secret -- welcome to Pleasant Cross, North Carolina, home to generations of the Ivy family. Admittedly headstrong, each of the Ivy women is blessed -- and cursed -- with a gift of Knowing. Great-grandmother Lodie could call the evil spirits out of a person, while Big Lucille was known to associate with ghosts. Grandma Pinot interprets the sky, Mama Bertie helps out at Lynch's Mortuary with her portents of upcoming passings, and daughter Liddy can tell who folks will marry by looking at their hands. But it's Liddy's twin sister, Tessa, and her discovery of her own special gift that frames this extraordinary tale of women, strength, and family history. During the summer of the twins' eighteenth year, Aunt Doris's prediction comes to out of all the Ivy women, Tessa's gift will be the most potent. One look in her own glass shows Tessa visions of Liddy with a suitcase, Mama and Reverend Lawson, and Old Man Jenkins's face sneering up through her tea eaves. When Reverend Moses Renfrow and his son, Sterling, roll into town in their pickup truck and silver Airstream trailer, the rains follow and Grandma's words hold "Storms and love always squeeze out the secrets." As the layers of the past unfold, a tragic story is revealed, teaching Tessa and the rest of the Ivys the meaning and power of faith, kinship, and love.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Southern

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Lynne Hinton is the pastor of St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The author of numerous novels including Friendship Cake, Hope Springs, Forever Friends, Christmas Cake, and Wedding Cake, she lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

When an author's prose makes me burn and ache to write myself, I know I've got a good read in my hand. This is a quick read but the author's voice resonated so deeply that I savored the book like chocolate.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the main plot points in this story is the special ways of knowing that the women in the Ivy family have. While it helps the plot line, it was not the most important part of the book for me. It is the characters and their interactions that I liked the most. In her acknowledgements, Lynne says that she began her storytelling journey by receiving grace from God. The grace that her characters share and by which they are transformed is what makes her books so enjoyable for me: this novel did not disappoint.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable story, but Friendship Cake (by this author) was better. It was a quick & easy read.

[Vikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book. The women in the book all have the "gift of knowing". This was a great little story. Lynne Hinton is a Church of Christ pastor.

[Amy Silverwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this out from the library on impulse and am so glad I did!

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept is very good and intriguing, but I thought the book lacked emotional depth. It was described as a "coming of age" story, but a lot of the situations Tessa went through that were meant to be deep and through provoking were just glimpsed over, and not explored fully. The author used a lot of descriptive language about the nature around her, but it became a bit of a drag. I did enjoy the book; it wasn't absolutely awful but it wasn't jaw-dropping amazing, either.

[Janet O'connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet story about a southern family of women who have a precious gift of knowing. The main character, Tessa begins to unlock her growth and come forward through a series of events. I really enjoyed the beauty and simplicity of life described throughout the story.

[LInda L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just wonderful, but not QUITE as wonderful as Friendship Cake. The Ivy family women are blessed with the gift of 'knowing' and it causes quite an upset at times. Looking forward to more by Lynne Hinton.

[Cadence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot wise- this did not have a lot going for it. I really could not tell which direction it was going, and I think some things did not need to happen as it did nothing for the plot. There was just a lot of filler.

It wasn’t awful. Kinda bland, but at least it’s short.

[Beth Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord, can this woman write.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an experience.

[Sally Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story. Quick read.

[Becky Bialaszewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to put down. I liked getting to know the characters. Tessa and the women in her family were strong and unique.

[Jeanne Modisett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not her usual quality. I was also not expecting some of the vulgarity.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teresa finds out the secret of her mother's feud with her childhood friend and in the process, finds love.

[Bre Chaires · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a very sweet story about love, loss, life. A very easy read

[Gwendolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like I was right there alongside with the characters. It's a really good book if you're looking for something to read in a short time. I finished it in an afternoon.

[Rawles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Soothing southern story. The prose and its insights are absolutely beautiful in this tale of a family of Southern women, each with a special gift for Knowing - knowing about the weather, who you'll marry, approaching deaths. But this novel is less about that than it is a delving into reaching adulthood, damaged friendships, and how keeping a secret is sometimes more evil than the secret is itself perceived to be. Very deep with a plot that twists and turns like the cyclone in Tessa's dreams, we meet Tessa and her twin Liddy, their mother Bertie, and an assortment of characters living in this small NC town which is separated by the proverbial if not actual tracks. Class, assumption, and a couple of mysterious newcomers will change Tessa's future in ways she tries to predict but cannot imagine. An overlooked gem in my opinion of good Southern literature. Great beach read!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of the Ivy women possesses a unique gift, a form of the Knowing, or the ability to see the future through different abilities that prove to be mixed blessings. There are many secrets in Pleasant Cross North Carolina which gradually come to light through the Knowing of Tessa Ivy, one of the pairs of Ivy twins. When Reverend Renfrow and his son Sterling come to Pleasant Cross, truths are unearthed which bring to light a painful and devastating past that several characters have survived. Sprinkled throughout this short, slight book are essential truths about life, love, survival, forgiveness and moving forward with faith in the future. It is slow moving, but richly delectable because the reader is slowly pulled into the stark simplicity of the meaning of life and love. A satisfying and thoughtful reading experience.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because I had read Friendship Cake last year. It was an okay book about a family of women who have the gift of Knowing. Some could see storms, some could see future mates, etc. Tessa, an 18 year old twin meets a boy but her sister Liddy doesn’t see his initial in her palm. Some answers are finally given for a tragic event in the past and why their mother and her best friend haven’t spoken in years.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

You trust that Lynne
Hinton isn't going to
take you to an awful
place and then leave you
there and she does not.
Hinton tells a gentle
story, a difficult story,
but you know that, in the
end, all things will work
together for good, and
they do.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book to be a sweet read. Her small town descpiption draws you into the story right away. I did think the big dark secret would be more. I felt as if she rushed the ending somewhat. I kept expecting more. I will probably read another book of hers , just to see if she does this in all of them.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Ivy girls know things before they happen but the visions have many interpretations. A freak car accident sets a series of things in motion and life for Tessa will never be the same in Pleasant Cross, NC. This book was quite different than her Hope Springs series.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pleasant and easy to read. I read it in one day, but since it was so short, it ended kind of abruptly.

[Michelle]

I thought it was pretty good

[Diane Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read - very typical Lynne Hinton. Great!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another simple, but wise and heartwarming story by author Lynne Hinton. I always enjoy her work.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet enjoyable read--I picked it to follow a very long book! I read it in a morning.