Finding Ginny

by Jen Dodrill

A heartwarming multigenerational drama about addiction, forgiveness, and a grandmother’s fight for custody.

Kat Johnson is a widowed elementary school teacher living a quiet life in Virginia Beach—until her estranged daughter returns after eight years, leaves behind a six-year-old granddaughter Kat never knew existed, and disappears.

Ginny is frightened, vulnerable, and desperate for stability. Kat opens her home and her heart, knowing Becky is still battling drug addiction and could come back for Ginny at any time. As summers pass and Ginny keeps returning, their bond grows stronger—but Becky’s relapses grow more dangerous.

When Becky vanishes, and Ginny is taken across state lines, Kat must fight for custody of the child who has become her world. Facing a failing heart, a painful family history, and impossible legal odds, Kat turns to her faith, her friends, and a strength she never knew she had.

In a battle between addiction and love, only one can win.

Finding Ginny is a deeply emotional women’s fiction novel about multigenerational family bonds, addiction recovery, custody battles, second chances, faith, forgiveness, and the healing power of unconditional love. Perfect for readers who enjoy heartfelt family dramas, inspirational Christian fiction, and stories about strong women protecting the children they love.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Clean Romance

318 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Jen Dodrill is living out her dreams on the pages of her books, bringing readers compelling stories of inspiration and hope for good times and bad.
As a mother of five, she cherishes the time she has now to tell her stories in between her honored role as Grandma, her passion for reading, and her adoration of all things coffee.
Her first book, Birds Alive! An Empty-nesters Cozy Mystery released in 2024. Book #2 in the series, Where’s the Quetzal, came out in February 2025. Book #3, No Egrets, will be published in 2026.
Jen has co-authored a novella collection, Trinity Sands Beach Club, with Deborah Sprinkle and Sharon H. Carpenter. It released June 17, 2025.

For more information about Jen, her books, and more, check out her blog: https://jendodrillwrites.com/ and connect with her on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jendodrillw...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenDodrillWr...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jen-Dod...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jen-d...

Reviews

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

“The morning my life changed started like any other.”

I enjoy author Jen Dodrill’s cozy mysteries in large part due to her engaging writing voice and relatable characters, and I easily found myself immersed in her new women’s fiction novel Finding Ginny for all the same reasons. In spite of the serious subject matter and emotional ups-and-downs of the plot, the love between Kat and Ginny – and the characters who make up their sweet little found family – keeps the tone of the story warm. But she does so while still painting a realistic portrait of addiction and its ripple effects on the addict’s loved ones, especially their parents, spouse, and children.

Kat Johnson is around my age when we join her story, and we’re only a few paragraphs into our meeting when her estranged twenty-four-year-old daughter Becky (whom she hasn’t seen in eight years) pulls up, unceremoniously drops off the six-year-old granddaughter Kat didn’t know she had, and takes off again. Becky’s abandonment of her daughter is heartbreaking, but Ginny herself is such a sweetheart who I wanted to hug the whole time. And throughout the novel, Dodrill does a wonderful job of portraying the contrasts between the insecurity Ginny feels because of her mom’s addiction, how much she loves & misses her mother anyway, and how she comes alive under Kat’s love, care, and safety. Addiction is complex, for everyone involved, and as different characters come into their lives, we see new layers to it. I particularly loved watching Kat learn how to be what Ginny needs, what Becky needs, and what she herself needs while using a variety of tools and resources to do so. Including her best friends, Sugar and Mac, and the unexpected new friends God puts into their paths.

Bottom Line: Finding Ginny by Jen Dodrill handles a difficult and emotionally-complicated topic with both honesty and grace, allowing readers to see the far-reaching pain of addiction while still holding onto love and leaning into hope. Kat and Ginny’s tender grandmother-granddaughter relationship warmed my heart, and I stayed glued to their story, sometimes with giggles (Ollie!) and sometimes with tears. But they aren’t the only ones who left a mark on my heart. I fell in love with almost all of the characters involved in Kat and Ginny’s lives … yes, even Becky who is admittedly painful to love for the majority of this novel. I appreciated too that this isn’t a story where everything is tied up perfectly with a nice red bow, nor one that takes place in the span of a few weeks. And I so very much loved how the epilogue points back to the beginning in an ‘imperfectly sweet’ sort of redemption. Finding Ginny is beautiful and hard and full of grace, and it deserves to be on your TBR list!

(I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I read via Kindle Unlimited.)

first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serenity…it’s hard to come by.

Touching, heart rending story of addiction and the way family and friends are affected.
Ginny is a sweet, confused child whose Mother put her desire for drugs above raising her daughter. Ginny’s Grandma faces the fact that drugs control her daughter and sobriety comes and goes as she tries to care for her granddaughter.
Family and friends are vital for those who are dealing with an addicted person in their lives.
Lots of ups and downs in this story. It’s hard to put down and you grow to love and have compassion for those dealing with the addict.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Ginny by Jen Dodrill is a well-written story rooted in Christian values. It is a story filled with conflicting emotions. Love, hate, hope, and despair. Joy and sorrow. About broken and mended relationships. The story is well-crafted and offers a glimpse into the world of someone in a relationship with an addict. It’s heartwarming to see how friendships develop and how people support one another. The story also makes you reflect on yourself—wondering how you would handle such a situation. A moving and compelling read. It's the first time I have read a book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised.

[Kim Territo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review. The storyline was compelling and I felt was a realistic representation of a family having to deal with drug addiction. On the whole, I liked this book, but there was a lot of God and praying that did nothing to progress the story and I actually skimmed over those parts.

[Kimberly Banet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up until 3 am because I couldn't put it down! I had to know how things turned out for Ginny, Kat, and Becky.

Finding Ginny is women's fiction, a clean multigenerational drama that focuses on the ways an adult daughter's addiction affects everyone in her life.

Becky's addiction has consequenseces for the entire family. Kat, her mother, must deal with how Becky's addiction affections not only her, but her young granddaughter, Ginny, who Becky drops on her doorstep. Through heartache, mental, and physical strain, Kat pushes through to learn about addiction and surround herself with community that provides support for herself and Ginny.

This story is filled with hope as Kat's faith in God grows even in the midst of hard questions, worry, and hardships. Kat builds builds friendships throughout the story that become family in a way that warmed my heart.

I was honored to be on the launch team and get to read an advanced copy of Finding Ginny.

[Shannon Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addiction has no rules. Walking through it with a family member sends a tsunami of change and doubt to everyone close to the shore. Very few people talk authentically about the realities of living with an addict in your life, but Finding Ginny does—and does it well.

I was honored enough to be on the launch team for this book, which I quickly volunteered for. I had been looking for a clean and honest story about real human struggles, and I found it in Jen Dodrill’s book about a family walking through both the seasons of life and the seasons of addiction. From betrayal to healing, no stone is left unturned here. This sensitive topic is handled with both fortitude and grace and is a living example of what loving others like Jesus looks like in the real world of troubles.

[Annette Teepe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Finding Ginny and the grandmother's journey as she addresses her daughter's addiction and her granddaughter's future. It is easy to ask, "How can I fix this person?" As the story progresses, we see how the addiction affects more than just the mother and daughter.

This book is an inspirational look at the struggle addiction can bring to a family. Addiction doesn't just affect the one who is addicted, but flows over to affect family and friends. I enjoy stories about families, second chances, and strong female characters. I was immersed in this story and eagerly read through to see how it would all end. Well done!

[Loretta Eidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This inspirational women’s fiction novel is an eye-opening story about Kat Johnson’s love and forgiveness of her daughter’s addiction and life choices. This story delves into Kat’s guilt, anger, worry, and stress over her daughter's complacent way of life and the neglect of Kat’s six-year-old granddaughter. She must rescue the child and fight for custody.
Grab a tissue and delve into this fiction, yet realistic, view of family devastation caused by an addict’s bad choices.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this book and enjoyed it a lot! Great book about adult friendships. The pain of watching someone you love suffer with addiction and allowing friends (or family) to come along side of you to hold you up, help you breathe. Great encouragement to appreciate your friendships and to also be a better friend to yours

Highly recommend this book.

I received a free digital copy of the book from the author with no expectation in return.

[Deborah R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Finding Ginny so much. It’s a story of hope, forgiveness, second chances and love. From Kat’s friends and her family group she receives love and support as she tries to put her granddaughter first. All the while she’s dealing with anger, resentment and sadness at her daughter’s choices as an addict.

You will fall in love with the characters. Finding Ginny is a story of hope, friendships and faith.

[Deborah Sprinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Finding Ginny" is a book that grabs your heart right from the beginning and doesn’t let go. Even after reading the last page! Jen Dodrill does a masterful job of showing us the growth of the main character, Kat Johnson, both emotionally and spiritually, while she deals with trauma and poor health. It’s a book that deals with age-old problems, and yet is timely for this day and age. I can’t wait for what comes next from this author!

[Jene Connelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deals with addiction in a very honest way. It was uplifting giving and validating the feelings you have when dealing with a family member and addiction. The characters are very believable and the book makes me want to turn the page. I loved this book and will be buying it for several friends.

[Delores Topliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Ginny grabs readers' hearts in the first few pages. With wonderful characters who meet tough real-life challenges, this book is heartgrabbing, inspirational, encouraging, and transformative. It gives solid clues describing help for the families of addicts while delivering a believable narrative. I highly recommend this book.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of the book from the author. I really enjoyed reading the story about a grandmother struggling with her daughter’s addiction and life choices while also supporting and raising her granddaughter. It’s a very realistic story about how addiction can impact families.