The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery

Written by Amanda Cox

Narrated by Stephanie Cozart

Present day. Sarah Ashby returns to her childhood home, determined to finally follow her dream of running the family business alongside her mother and grandmother. So when her mother, Rosemary, announces to her that Old Depot
Grocery is closing, Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann, make a plan to save the store. But Rosemary has worked her entire life to make sure her daughter never follows in her footsteps. She has her reasons—but she’ll certainly never reveal the real one.

1965. Glory Ann confesses to her family that she’s pregnant with her deceased fiancé’s baby. Pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper to preserve her family’s reputation, Glory Ann vows never to love again. But some
promises are not as easily kept as she imagined.

This dual-time story from Amanda Cox deftly explores the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship, the way the secrets we keep shape our lives and the lives of others, and the healing power of telling the truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705038383

Amanda Cox

Amanda Cox is a four-time Christy Award-winner and author of multiple Southern fiction novels. She crafts stories that explore themes of hope, healing, and belonging that invite readers to journey alongside authentic characters. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with her husband and their three children. Learn more at AmandaCoxWrites.com.

Reviews for The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery

[Laura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The characters are all lovable and relatable. She draws beautiful word pictures. And the story is one of redemption and God’s faithfulness. You felt like you were right there with them through it all. I even enjoy the two time periods running simultaneously through the book. Beautifully done!

[pwrxtrem2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was very long for the premise of the story and seemed to drag on. However I did end up listening to the end. It was confusing with going back and forth with the time frames.

[Connie Pettersen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my first book by Amanda Cox, and won’t be the last. This story was captivating, tragic, happy, nostalgic and fulfilling, all at the same time. The characters well developed and felt like friends. Well done!

[Ann Bush · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Keeping secrets isn't a good plan. Ever. However, this was an enjoyable story and everything came to light.

[Hanica30 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Everything in this book is so sadly predictable. The characters keep secrets and make mistakes throughout their entire lives only to change with no problems whatsoever in a blink of an eye in the end and become so insightful and enlightened. The feeling was as if I was reading a pretentious Beverly Hills episode.

[Frances O'Connor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well written with believable characters and story line. Nicely layered and great message. It's told in duel-time, shifting between now and then as the story unfolds. Not stupid but not too intense either. Good reader.

[robin.willson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One wrong decision...for Sarah, her mother and her Grandmother. And the secrets they all kept. The Old Depot Grocery is a way of life for each of them as they grow up. The story time slips from the Vietnam war era to present day and through the years between, revealing what each of the women are holding in their hearts and minds. Interesting the way it unfolds. Full of heartache and misunderstanding, but also love. A messy sort of family. Sarah, widowed, has come back to her family and the store, trying to hold on to what is good. The store is failing though. And there are lots of layers to the relationships there. Good read.
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#TheSecretKeepersofOldDepotGrocery #NetGalley

[brenda63_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This powerful dual-storyline novel seamlessly flows from one timeline and narrator to the next. The believable story revolves around three generations of women from the same family: Glory Ann, Rosemary, and Sarah. Each hides her fair share of secrets, complicating their relationships. I'm impressed with the author's skill in fully developing all of the secondary characters.

[marypo-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Amanda Cox's latest release has the heartfelt warmth I've come to expect from her, but it takes its time coming, in all the bitterness and lost years. It mirrors life in that way. The middle of the book was heavier than I expected, though, and

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautifully written book that is very emotional. I did not want to put this book down. This tells the story of a grandmother, daughter and granddaughter. This tells the story of these women and the store they run both in the present and the past. I fell into these women’s stories. You will laugh and cry. I always love this authors books and this is one of my favorites. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When Sarah Ashby returns to her hometown she is a broken woman. Her husband has recently died and she is seeking some stability in her life. Sarah thinks working in her family's grocery store and being near her mother and grandmother can provide that. Her mother is excited to see her daughter but is aghast that she wants to start over back in her hometown - she needs a fresh start and to get far away from the tiny town and failing grocery store. However, Sarah insists on working with her family in the Old Depot Grocery - it has so many good memories for her! Told in alternating storylines from the present day with Sarah to the mid-sixties with Glory Ann (grandmother) finding out she is pregnant and her fiancé is never coming back from Vietnam. The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is really about the ups and downs of mother daughter relationships and the power that secrets can have when they are allowed to fester for to long. Inspiring and heartfelt.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox involves three generations of Clearwater women. I thought the story was well-written with realistic, developed characters. It is a dual-timeline novel that is told from Glory Ann, Sarah, and Rosemary’s point-of-view. The story revolves the family grocery store began by Clarence Clearwater, Glory Ann’s husband. Each woman is at the Old Depot for a different reason. They have secrets that come to light over the course of the book. There is misunderstandings and miscommunications that do not help these ladies’ relationships. There are good life lessons presented in this generational saga. Forgiveness of others and oneself is the first one and the second one is that God is in control. We can worry, manipulate, scheme, and plan. In the end, it is best to leave it in God’s hands because His plans are the ones that will happen in the end. I liked that there was hope in the story. A person may be going through a tough time or grieving, but there was still hope to help get them through. I enjoyed the epilogue that nicely wrapped up this emotional, thought-provoking tale. There is something for each reader in this Southern story. The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is a story that will linger with you long after you finish it.

[mm_jones · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quaint, faith based story of three generations of shopkeepers in a converted train depot. The main characters are likable although they do spend some amount of time manipulating the next generation. The small town gossip group adds a bit of levity. The depot setting plays a minimal role in the story, being featured in the title, I expected the location to be more relevant. Overall the family love, especially father for daughter, is evident.

[livelylady · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good story line of three generations of women, but hard to follow with each chapter being in a different time frame stretching over several decades. Good writing with descriptions that made it feel like you were right there, but I really lost a lot of the impact going back and forth in time from the 70s to Present Day, etc. I would have given it a higher rating if the story was written in a sequential manner....Book 1, Book 2, etc. following in either a chronological or individual's story.

[cdyankeefan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sarah returns home following the death of her husband. With her mother rosemary and grandmother Nan she helps run the family grocery store. Told in different time frames, the story reveals all the secrets the women carry. Slowly the secrets are revealed leading to a not too surprising ending. This was just ok for me. I thought it was somewhat predictable and there were instances of narrative and dialogue that were cringe worthy .

[khiemstra631 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sarah returns home after the sudden death of her husband, eager to help run her family's Old Depot Grocery. Only things are not at all what she expected at the grocery store due to the arrival of a new superstore on the edge of a Tennessee town that is not large enough to support two grocery stores. Sarah fights to save the store as she fights to learn what secrets her grandmother and mother have kept from her and from each other for ca. fifty years. A handsome farmer named Clay rounds out the cast of characters. Amanda Cox has written a good, albeit somewhat predictable story. The underlying message of the harm that long-held secrets can cause to family relationships always needs repeated. However, there were some details in the story that this reviewer hopes were correct before the final product goes to market. As an example, Glory Ann's daughter Rosemary speaks in complete sentences at the age of fifteen months. Although possible, this seems so unusual that some mention of the child's being a prodigy surely deserved mention in the book. So, with a little tight editing, this should be a good fit for readers who enjoy intergenerational family stories and flash back and forth between past and present. (This review was based on an ARC.)

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Three women with secrets, a grandmother, mother, and daughter. Daughter Sarah returns to the small Tennessee town where she grew up, running from a life she wants to leave behind to help run the family grocery store, which is threatened by a big-box store opening close by. Her mother Rosemary has her own secrets too, as does grandmother Glory Ann. This inspirational novel is about these women, their secrets, their futures, and the grocery story that draws them all together. It took a little bit for me to get used to the back-and-forth of the chapters from one time frame to the next, but once I did, I had no problem following the plot. I enjoyed getting to know the 3 women and their secrets and how they handle them alone and with each other.

[mchwest · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the story told in this book. How a tiny out of the way grocery store can sometimes be the heart of a community. Secrets that date back so many years, come to reveal more stories of their own. Good job with this and I hope ot read more by Amanda Cox.

[erinclark_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every family has painful secrets that in order to heal must finally rise to the surface of that pain. Such is the family saga of the three stubborn, strong women who run and serve their small community through the family owned grocery store. Three generations of strong women. Are they strong or just secretive in order to protect those and what they love? I enjoyed this book immensely, the writing and characters are well developed and the story is part mystery, part forgiveness and part redemption. I love it when the characters come to life for me and the author's writing did not disappoint. So much happens in this novel. Highly recommended.

[kibosa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When starting to read this book, I thought the plot would be secrets kept, secrets uncovered, people mad, people reunite. This story is so much more. The characters grew and their stories unfolded as you continued reading. Nothing was as simple as I first expected. I enjoyed the storytelling alternating from present to Glory Ann's story.

[debs4jc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A heartwarming story centered around a grocery store and the family that owns it. There is Sarah - the youngest who returns to the family homestead after a tragedy, holding tight to her own secrets. The oldest is Glory Ann, Sarah's grandmother who also loves the Old Depot Grocery store that she has worked in most of her life. Glory Ann and Sarah want to save the store, but Glory Ann's daughter Rosemary has other ideas - and secrets of her own. The reader also gets to see into Glory Ann's past and find out what brought her to the Old Depot Grocery Store - and to her husband Clarence - in the first place. This family is threatened by the secrets it keeps, but as the women work and live together they gradually learn that family is still family, even when you open up to them and share the secrets that you think will be hurtful.
I greatly enjoyed this story of generations of women learning to open up to one another, I definitely recommend it to readers seeking thoughtful and heartwarming Christian fiction.

[estherfilbrun · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Few mysteries have struck me as deeply or stayed with me as long as this book. From the first few scenes, it was easy to see that Cox is is a masterful author, and she pulled me into the story and kept me there—even when I had other, more pressing things to do. This story carries a depth with it that I didn’t anticipate. I knew I would likely enjoy it when I read “split-time”—I’m a sucker for such things. But what I DIDN’T expect was the exploration of what our past, hidden perhaps for some very good reasons, can do to us if we don’t take time to acknowledge and heal—and allow those around us to find healing with us. Though each of us may stand on our own two feet, we are deeply interconnected with each other. And hurts and grievances affect others far more than we want to admit most of the time.

This book is beautiful; a work of art, but even more a work of souls. Deeply redemptive, deeply hope-filled, I enjoyed every moment I got to spend with these characters. I can’t wait for the next Cox book to come out.

I was given a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

[chrirob · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sarah must reluctantly return home to live in the same small town she tried so hard to move beyond - but it and the Old Depot Grocery kept calling to her. Her mother Rosemary has lived in their little town all her life and has dreamed of doing something more than raising her daughters and helping run her mother's Old Depot Grocery. Nan loves running her Old Depot Grocery and is thrilled that her granddaughter Sarah has come to help rescue the family business. However, time is running out to save not only the business but their dying little town. Can these three generations of Clearwater women find harmony living together before their past tears down their futures.
This was a good book and the characters were very strong, sad, and amusing - reminded me of many of my own family members!

[harley0326 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could not put this book down until I read the last page. It was such a wonderful dual time story that had my emotions all over the place. The first thing I noticed was the cover. It screams of the days when soda shoppes were popular and family stores were prospering. The author does an excellent job of combining time periods together to create a journey of secrets, loss, family and unconditional love.
It is hard to pick out which time period I enjoyed more. When we are introduced to Glory Ann, I loved reading about her first love and how happy she was if only for a brief period. The author talks about the Vietnam War and the tragedy that families faced as they received news of the death of loved ones. Glory Ann was broken into pieces when the love of her life was killed in the war. I was quite upset when her parents were more worried about their standing in the community than what their daughter was going thru.

When we travel to the present we are introduced to Rosemary and Sarah. I loved the dynamics between these two characters. They both have suffered loss but there is a strain between them. The store brings them back together as decisions need to be made that will upset Sarah’s grandmother. There is much between these three generations with secrets that will have lasting affects on everyone. The emotions are felt deep within the soul as we travel from a marriage of convenience, the Vietnam War, unexpected pregnancies and family history that holds the key to long hidden secrets. I appreciate the author highlighting what soldiers experience in the war and how an idea is formed to help those coming hone.

I don’t want to give anything away, because like me I’m sure readers want to experience everything first hand as they open the pages of this book. With hard days ahead for one young couple we see the imprint it left on the family generation after generation. It was almost like the three women had similar lives but slightly different in how they handled their problems. The best part of the book for me was the brokenness that was felt as these three women face their past and repair family relationships.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads Blogging Program. The review is my own opinion.

[polarmath · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting story that went back and forth between present day and the past of 1965. It goes between family dynamics, secrets of the past, and tragedies of the present. Sarah returns to her childhood home but finds that things are not as expected. The family is planning to close the grocery story that they has been in their family for decades. Sarah cannot figure out the reason for the closing or why they don't want her to revive the family business. A great story of forgiveness and family.

I received a copy to read, the review is mine.

[fcplcataloger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was deeply impressed with this author's debut novel, and after reading this book, my admiration has only increased! Author Amanda Cox has created a powerful tale that brings back so many memories and evokes so many emotions of my childhood; even the book cover reminds me of the grocery stores in my Kentucky hometown.

Cox introduces us to three women in this dual-time novel that spans 60 years, and we can see how our society has changed from 1965 to today. There is romance in The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, but what makes this book so special is the love between three generations of women. I loved the bond between Glory Ann and her granddaughter Sarah as they joined together to thwart the closing of the Old Depot Grocery, but I could also sympathize with Rosemary's desire to see it close. We witness so many facets in both of these mother/daughter relationships: Glory Ann and daughter Rosemary, and Rosemary and her daughter Sarah, and then, the very special ties between Glory Ann and Sarah. Cox vividly portrays all of the family dynamics, including pain, loss, multiple secrets, and eventually, joy and triumph!

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is a heartwarming story with amazing characters, an intriguing plot, and the poignant reminder that truth truly does set us free. I highly recommend The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery, but be prepared to shed some tears!

I received a copy of this book from Revell. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.

[lauigl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is a dual-timeline novel that opens in the present day and shortly thereafter transports us back in time to 1965. Glory Ann, a young girl of nineteen, finds herself expecting and thrust into the hands of a shopkeeper who has agreed to marry her in the wake of her fiancés tragic death in Vietnam to preserve her family’s good name and reputation. Glory Ann’s heart is shattered along with her hopes and dreams of a life with Jimmy who is no more. But can the passing of time help to mend a broken heart?

Present Day – Three generations of women—Glory Ann, Rosemary and Sarah, have come to the realization that their Old Depot Grocery has fallen victim to the appeal of larger chain stores with their extensive variety and modern conveniences. The store is barren and customers are sparse. Sarah, who has recently arrived back in Tennessee after suffering a loss is dismayed by the condition of the store that her mother and grandmother are still struggling to maintain, the store she grew up in. What she observes now does not coincide with her cherished memories. Old Depot Grocery is still appreciated by many in the small town of Brighton for its friendly atmosphere and the owners’ exceptional customer service, but it’s not nearly enough to keep the family business, that dates back decades, afloat. Will the three women fight to preserve the family’s legacy, or will they give in to Old Depot’s inevitable future?

Unfortunately, the decision to preserve the shop at all costs is not a unanimous one amongst the women. Although fond memories are linked to the store, so are tragic ones.  For Rosemary, burying the past along with anything associated with its painful memories seems the more favorable option.  She can ensure that her mother, Glory Ann, will be financially set in her old age, and there will be no reason for Sarah to give up her life as a successful city girl and be forever tied to the old debilitating store the way she was. 

Each woman has her reasons for wanting to save or relinquish Old Depot Grocery, but they’re all also harboring many secrets that, once revealed, will either draw them closer together or possibly break them forever apart.

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery was AMAZING!! I was glued to its pages from start to finish. There was heartbreak, secrets, guilt, revelations, unconditional love, redemption, forgiveness and so much more. Amanda Cox weaves together all of the various elements of the story flawlessly. When you’ve read the last page you won’t believe how she accomplished tidying up all the loose ends into a perfectly fulfilling and satisfying conclusion. Glory Ann, Rosemary and Sarah were great characters along with some of the supporting players. My thoughts about them lingered each time I put the book down. By the end everyone exposes their secrets, comes to terms with their inner demons, and learns that while there is still breath in their lungs they can move forward in life towards their dreams. Even Old Depot can be transformed.

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery touched my heart and moved me to tears several times. I highly recommend this book. A phenomenal read.

Thank you, Revell Books, for a complimentary ARC of The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery. All opinions of it are my own.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a sweet read. I liked the past and the present flowing together. Although, I have to admit that I was drawn more to the past and Glory Ann. Her story really did resonate with me and her voice was the loudest. I feel like her story is the glue that bonded all three women together.

Yet, my next favorite is Rosemary. This is because she was featured in the past as a prominent character as well. Therefore, I grew close to her too. However, Sarah is commended for the fact that she was right there with her grandmother in not wanting to sell Old Depot Grocery. Overall, this is a lovely story with a happy ending.

[emscape · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm giving this three and a half stars because it's my own fault that I requested it from Early Reviewers based on the description without checking the publisher. I do think those descriptions ought to be more overt about their status as a Christian book so that they only get requested by people who like that kind of thing and don't end up with lackluster reviews, but I guess that's up to them.
The story is about three women, Grandmother, Mother and Daughter who run a grocery store in middle-of-nowhere Tennessee. In the present day action, the Mother wants to sell the place, and the Daughter and Grandmother do not. The story jumps around in time, but the three storylines are pretty chronological, explaining what connections each of them have to the store and their motivations for wanting to keep the place and also for wanting to sell. The title's promise of "secret keepers" turns out to be pretty tame as far as secrets go, on each of the three accounts. There's also a lot of reliance on the story device of people who just don't communicate properly with their loved ones, which causes a lot of recriminations, resentment, and missed opportunities.
The aforementioned Christianity of the book isn't too bang-you-on-the-head, but each of the three women cites her faith as being supportive, while totally not acting like the "Christians" they claim to be, but then hypocrisy is more of a characteristic of religious people than an actual adherence to the faith they profess, so I suppose that's pretty realistic.
Overall, I didn't hate the book, but I expected something more juicy and also less religious.

[mizroady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So many things attracted me to this book; the cover, the title, the back cover blurb and the author’s reputation for good books! I must say I was not disappointed! I loved this book! This story spans a period of 60 years in the lives of 3 generations of women. The old saying, “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” came to my mind as I read. It holds true in these 3 women’s lives because when we are dishonest in any situation, we open the door to problems that will eventually be out of our control. Each of these women was not deceitful by nature, but through circumstances beyond their control felt hiding their secrets would be less painful for those they loved.
The Old Depot Grocery had been the center of the family’s life since 1965 when Glory married the owner Clarence, a man 10 years her senior. The marriage didn’t start out as a traditional one for sure, but through the years grew strong in affection and respect. After her husband died she continued to run the store that she saw as a life blood to her family and community. After 56 years it was becoming a burden with the new grocery store in town taking most of its customers. Although she was in her 80’s she was determined to keep it going. She has secrets from her past that drive her on.
Her daughter, Rosemary, who grew up in the store has other plans. She wants the store sold and her mother’s last years to be those of ease. Tempers flare and heads butt as they disagree. Her mother’s future isn’t the only reason she wants to sell. She holds many secrets in her heart that have been hidden for many years.
Enter Sarah, daughter and granddaughter. She has just lost her husband in an accident and comes home in hope of support and healing. She gets caught in the crossfire of her family and while seeing both sides she has her opinions and even plans. Sarah has her own secrets she holds close. As the three women once again live in close proximity, their secrecy gives way to a slippery slope of emotions and events that reveal what none of them felt would ever come to light.
I saw so many deep lessons as I read. Shame and fear of upsetting others involved are never motives to hide the truth. It hurts far more to find out one was betrayed than to face the pain of facts. The longer one conceals secrets, the more complicated they become and the harder it is to come clean. I also saw how forgiving yourself is often more difficult than forgiving another.
I couldn’t put the book down! There are so many surprises along the way! It was incredible to view all three lives and see what the other ones could not see. A dynamic and entertaining book!
I received this book from Revell in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.