What do you think?
Rate this book
Second Chances Collection #2
In Search of Eden
A girl who has never been able to settle down, Miranda begins various adventures, but whenever reality begins to tarnish her dreams, she gives up. As she approaches her thirtieth birthday, she determines to reinvent her life. But there's one loose end to tie down first. Joseph North, the chief of police in Abingdon, Virginia, always tries to do what is right, to perform his duty and protect those he loves. He becomes suspicious of the new woman in town, and after checking further, he discovers she has no history. Then he finds a baby picture of his niece in her possession.
In Search of Eden is a story about law and grace, about forgiveness and redemption, about finding joy and rest in a broken world.
In Search of Eden is a story about law and grace, about forgiveness and redemption, about finding joy and rest in a broken world.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
78 people are currently reading
1112 people want to read
About the author
Linda Nichols
27books139followersLinda Nichols is an American writer known for her contemporary romance and inspirational fiction novels. Initially gaining recognition with Handyman (2000), a romantic comedy that satirizes pop psychology, she later shifted toward faith-based fiction following a personal renewal of her religious beliefs. Her subsequent works, including Not a Sparrow Falls (2002), If I Gained the World (2003), and At the Scent of Water (2002), explore themes of faith, redemption, and personal growth. Nichols, who has also contributed articles to parenting magazines, is praised for her skill in crafting compelling characters and engaging narratives.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
June 30, 2009
Both this book and Before I Wake came as surprises to me. I wanted something to read while in Middlesboro and bought these at the local bookstore. $3.97 each.
I really liked In Search of Eden and then was confused when the hero started talking about Jesus and God in a nice way and a questioning way. So now I was intrigued and continued to read out of curiosity. Half way through I realized that I was reading a "Christian Book" by a "Christian Author."
Only once or twice did the author's religious discussion get in the way of a good read. The story carried itself. The writing is respectable. and the characters were mostly believable. I found that I liked the main character as a person and rooted for her Once or twice I thought they got a little sweet for the situation.
To my surprise when I got the the end, I discovered that I had just read and liked my first book in a new genre --Inspriational Romance. Well call me a Christian Chick.
I really liked In Search of Eden and then was confused when the hero started talking about Jesus and God in a nice way and a questioning way. So now I was intrigued and continued to read out of curiosity. Half way through I realized that I was reading a "Christian Book" by a "Christian Author."
Only once or twice did the author's religious discussion get in the way of a good read. The story carried itself. The writing is respectable. and the characters were mostly believable. I found that I liked the main character as a person and rooted for her Once or twice I thought they got a little sweet for the situation.
To my surprise when I got the the end, I discovered that I had just read and liked my first book in a new genre --Inspriational Romance. Well call me a Christian Chick.
May 24, 2019
Very encouraging.
September 12, 2014
Detailed story about a woman searching for the daughter she gave up for adoption. A story of different peoples' search for "Eden"
February 22, 2015
I found the book In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols a great read! Although it started off a little slow, it quickly caught my attention and became hard to put down. The story has several threads woven in but revolves around a young woman in search of an 11 year old child that she was forced to give up when she delivered the baby when she was 15 years old. After her mother dies of cancer, Melinda receives a clue to where the baby had lived at one time and goes to Abingdon, VA to try to find the child. She becomes involved with her daughter, Eden, and Eden's adoptive family before she knows Eden's true identity. In the midst of her search, she decides to find out more about her own mother and uncovers a tragedy in her mother's past. Other major characters in the novel include her adoptive father, David, who has just been severely injured after being hit by a drunk driver, his wife Sarah, David's mother, Ruth, and David's brother, Joseph, who was betrayed by both David and Sarah, Eden, Miranda's daughter. The author does a fantastic job in developing these characters. This is a Christian novel and the author brings out the themes of redemption and forgiveness in the events and characters of the novel.
March 4, 2019
Heel mooi!
July 29, 2024
Caught my interest right away� then felt kind of long in the middle� picked up a bit in the last quarter
July 1, 2019
Sweet read. The author keeps you involved and is very heartfelt. Gives the reader inspirational scripture that entwined with the story.
February 3, 2012
I had low expectations of this book, mostly because Iwas given the book as a present while being told, "I tried to read it, but just couldn't get into it..."
I was very pleasantly surprised. The beginning of the story as a little difficult to get into; the story changes narrative too many times among several characters at the beginning of the story, almost more than what is comfortable. I was a liitle confused, trying to remember who was who, but soon, I as in the midst of the story, and there were no more problems.
The story is well written and the charactes well developed, and it's an enjoyable story. That's all I can really say without trying to explain the plot and all od the complicated connections between the characters.
I was very pleasantly surprised. The beginning of the story as a little difficult to get into; the story changes narrative too many times among several characters at the beginning of the story, almost more than what is comfortable. I was a liitle confused, trying to remember who was who, but soon, I as in the midst of the story, and there were no more problems.
The story is well written and the charactes well developed, and it's an enjoyable story. That's all I can really say without trying to explain the plot and all od the complicated connections between the characters.
January 23, 2013
This was a really good book by an author I had never read before. I would be interested in reading more of her books. I was immediately wrapped up in her characters. I felt for 15 year old Miranda who had to give away her baby without even knowing if it was a boy or a girl and the story that followed was even better. We follow Miranda for 11 years. She couldn't ever forget her baby. She desperately wanted to find "it" but was never given the chance until her mom's death. Her mom had suppressed Miranda for years and only after her death was Miranda able to figure out way. This is a wonderful book about forgiveness.
October 8, 2012
Entertaining and uplifting. What I liked most was the development of the true moral character in every one of the characters. They each had uniquely challenging lives, but overcame the emotional obstacles of the issues in their lives to forgive, love and find happiness. All to often it seems that individuals are making poor moral choices as a domino effect from one initial bad choice, or due to the fact that the person is simply reacting to the actions of those around them. This book brings up multiple characters and situations for which individuals rise above, change and grow from bad experiences instead of using them as a crutch or launch pad for further self-destructing behavior.
August 29, 2023
Never judge a book by its cover or description. I almost gave away this book before I even read it but I’m so glad I didn’t. It was a heartfelt story that leads to love, forgiveness, and redemption. The characters were relatable and the author paints a beautiful image of how everyone is feeling throughout the book, which is helpful for developing compassion for each person and their individual experiences. Probably a book I will happily read again and again.
June 30, 2021
Although I am a Christian, I usually don't choose Christian fiction because I find it too preachy when I read to escape. This book, however, I really enjoyed. I found it extremely interesting because I have adopted children. I have no idea who their birth parents are. This book gave me a glimpse into the mind of a birth mother and what she was going through.
July 13, 2022
I was captivated by this story from page one. A woman on a journey to find the child she was forced to give up for adoption meets a spunky girl and they form an unusual friendship. Twists you don't see coming and though provoking moments all add up to a thoroughly enjoyable read.
December 16, 2015
This story shows how God works and puts us where we belong.
August 8, 2017
A sweet and simple novel, what it lacked in subtlety it made up for in setting: a small town community nestled at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although I wished that the author had conveyed her ideas with more nuance, and I kept getting annoyed at all of the adults for making poor choices, the truth is that most adults (including me) make poor choices and its much easier to see them from outside the situation. I enjoyed the quirky, fun character of Eden, the little girl who is the epicenter of all the adults in the story. Themes of searching for identity, forgiveness, and parenthood/family made it the quaint type of novel to recommend to your grandmother (I actually did pass this along to my grandma after finishing).
February 13, 2024
Excellent read! The characters are well constructed, the storyline complex and intriguing. It's raw and real, and because it is, it took me a few days to get past the first few chapters, as the main character faced an agonizing life situation. I was drawn into the story and felt the pain as real as if it were my own. As the novel continued, I was able to relate in one way or another to almost every character, as they all struggled with brokenness and finding their place in the world. "In Search of Eden" is a beautiful story of God's mercy and grace upon each person's life, but it still manages to mirror the choices we all must make to accept or deny those heavenly gifts.
August 15, 2022
I was on the fence about this book as I picked it up and put it down, even started over a couple of times as I tried to get into the rhythm of the story. The first third of the book was a bit choppy, in my opinion, but once the main character was in a new town and actively pursuing her goal the story began to pick up and mesh. I wouldn’t say this is a romance, even though there is a romantic pursuit. The story is very good, I just think you have to hang in there as it slowly unfolds.
July 24, 2018
Good job on presenting different characters with different opinions. Lots happening. Could you solve some of it, of course. But at the same time, it was absolutely wonderful, for anyone that has ever just felt a connection with people and then found out they were something more, and I think we all have moments like that.
Great story. Thank you Lina Nichols.
Great story. Thank you Lina Nichols.
October 5, 2020
I had a Bible class teacher use this book as a starting point for an excellent series on the Garden of Eden. I finally got around to reading it. There are a lot of surprises to be had in the book. I'll simply say that the main character has a baby as a teenager that her mom makes her give up for adoption. Several years later, she wants to find out what happened to the child.
May 25, 2024
Second book in this series from my Gram’s goodreads list.
For me it was a hard to get into at first. I set it down often in the beginning and struggled to stay in it. A lot of character jumping. But in time the story came to life and in all was a very good read. I would have to align with Gram on this one again. V.G. 😁
For me it was a hard to get into at first. I set it down often in the beginning and struggled to stay in it. A lot of character jumping. But in time the story came to life and in all was a very good read. I would have to align with Gram on this one again. V.G. 😁
November 6, 2024
Uplifting story of mothers and daughters, flawed relationships and the Lord’s power to heal all. Dora Mae/ Miranda has felt like she floated from one town to another, one job to another- she lost her way when her mother forced her to give up her baby at 15. But she prayed that one day the Lord would help her to find her again. This is the story of that rocky road.
May 23, 2019
Wow. What a good book! It started out really slowly and I had to keep pushing myself to keep going. Then I couldn't put it down. Lots of spiritual themes of forgiveness woven throughout without you even knowing.
April 27, 2020
I read this book many years ago, and I remember it was a book that I wanted to keep reading. I had to know what happened next.
Linda was a new author for me and I was not disappointed in her writing and drawing you into the characters.
Linda was a new author for me and I was not disappointed in her writing and drawing you into the characters.
December 30, 2020
The book started out slowly, but once I got into it, I found it difficult to put down. The story follows Miranda DeSpain on her quest to find the child she gave up for adoption when she was 15. In the process, Miranda discovers more information about her past and her mother's behavior. Overall, this is a beautiful story on forgiveness.
February 15, 2022
Nichols has crafted an inspiring masterpiece. I enjoyed following Miranda in her journey to wholeness. Hope exudes from the pages. I treasure my time with those in Abingdon, Virginia.
Recommend to readers who enjoy redemption stories.
I won a copy. I have expressed my honest opinion.
Recommend to readers who enjoy redemption stories.
I won a copy. I have expressed my honest opinion.
January 25, 2023
Great inspiration and redemption
This was my first book to read of Linda Nichols. I found it to be a wonderful inspirational reading with a touch of mystery. Looking forward to reading the next one!
This was my first book to read of Linda Nichols. I found it to be a wonderful inspirational reading with a touch of mystery. Looking forward to reading the next one!
February 26, 2023
This book was an awesome story about faith in the middle of a search and forgiveness of the past. Full of heartwarming moments as well as funny moments. Definitely a must read for mystery and faith readers or even new or deciding faith readers 😉
March 9, 2023
Another really special book from this author. It doesn’t seem like she’s writing anymore. Does anyone know why? You feel as if you know Dorrie and feel for all she goes through. Some surprises along the way but just a great story!
June 4, 2017
I liked the end. It was so hard to get into . I actually think I read it before so must not have been memorable
September 29, 2017
Started slow but kept be hooked and guessing what was next.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.