ALL THAT WE ENCOUNTER

A mysterious jewelry box offers a path to inner peace for three lost people in Grey’s debut fantasy.

Eighty-eight-year-old Olivia, who’s having trouble with her memory, moves into an assisted living home in Michigan. One night, she witnesses a bright light emanating from an opal-studded jewelry box—a gift that she received from a mysterious child almost 30 years ago during a trip to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Suddenly, her consciousness is transported back in time to her father’s funeral, and she sees it through her 15-year-old eyes. During the intense experience, her elderly self drops a cigarette, igniting the room; soon, she must move in with her remaining relatives. Olivia’s great-niece June has recently returned to live in her mother’s home, where Olivia is staying. June was left emotionally shattered after separating from her husband, Anthony, whose turbulent upbringing poorly prepared him for domestic happiness. Anthony had an affair with a secretary, and June developed an eating disorder as a result of her grief and her feeling that she lacked control over her life. After Anthony shows up on her doorstep, struggling with news of his father’s death, they both learn that Olivia’s jewelry box is a vessel through which they can relive past experiences—and maybe heal from past trauma. Grey’s detailed prose is effusively descriptive, and the main characters, who alternate as narrators, are realistic and psychologically complex creations. The author’s exploration of the topic of parenthood is particularly nuanced, resulting in some of the novel’s most touching scenes. At times, though, the protagonists seem a bit too self-aware regarding their emotional issues. Grey uses common elements of several religions in her explanation of the jewelry box, which draws on the notion that souls are connected by “The Unbound Love,” a force of goodness that surrounds every living person. However, although the narrators all have compelling histories, the conclusion falls short of feeling truly inspirational.

An earnestly told tale of hope and self-discovery.