Someone Like You (Karen Kingsbury novel)

Someone Like You is a Christian novel written by Karen Kingsbury. It was released on May 5, 2020.

It is the seventh novel in her Baxter Family Collection series, and the 30th novel overall featuring the Baxter Family.

Originally, as part of a marketing deal with Wal-Mart, books ordered through them would contain a special "bonus chapter". However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and its effect on small businesses (especially Landmark Books in Franklin, Tennessee, the inspiration for her novel The Bridge), as a thank you to her fans who purchased books from them and other independent bookstores, Kingsbury offered the bonus chapter as a special download for her newsletter subscribers.

Maddie Baxter West appears to have everything going her way: a recent graduate of Texas Christian University with a degree in animal science, a new job working for the Indianapolis Zoo, and a recent engagement to her long-time boyfriend Connor Flanigan^[1]. What she doesn't know is that her parents (Drs. Brooke Baxter West and Peter West) have hidden the truth about her conception: she was adopted as an embryo from a couple in Portland, Oregon who (after a difficult pregnancy) chose not to have any more children. They were always "waiting for the right time" (which never came) and now fear that once they tell her, it will upset her greatly.

Meanwhile, in Portland, Dawson Gage is in love with his long-time best friend, London Quinn. However, London doesn't have the same feelings, mainly due to their differing views on faith (Dawson is a Christian; London has shown no interest). But one day, London begins to ask Dawson questions about her faith. They talk for a while and agree to carry the conversation on later, but tragically London is hit by a car and fatally injured. However, while lying in the street she tells Dawson that she believes in Jesus. (Dawson is also approached by a policeman with a nametag "Jag".^[2]) She also tells Dawson and her parents (Larry and Louise) on her deathbed of her now belief in Jesus and also mentions that she has a sister -- "someone like me"; Louise tells London that she was conceived through in-vitro fertilization and that there were three other embryos.

After London's funeral, Dawson tells her parents of the conversation they had just before her accident (the first time London had expressed any interest in Christianity); in turn her parents tell Dawson of their regret in not instilling their faith in London, and also tell him that the embryos were signed over to a local doctor. Dawson now is interested in finding London's sister if she existed, both to tell her about London and for another reason: Louise is in end-stage kidney failure and needs a transplant; London had agreed to be a donor but her fatal injuries left her kidneys unusable. Dawson learns that the embryos were adopted by a couple in Bloomington, a husband-and-wife team of pediatricians, his research quickly leads him to Brooke and Peter, and ultimately to Maddie.

Dawson meets Maddie at the zoo and tells her the news: not only does she not believe him but plans to have him escorted off the zoo property. That night, she tells her parents of her encounter with Dawson; they finally tell her the truth of her conception (she was the only one of the three embryos to survive). The news leaves Maddie enraged (especially when she learns that her younger sister Hayley is their biological child): she refuses to forgive them, storms out of the house, doesn't respond to their contacts, and ultimately flies one-way to Portland to meet the Quinns.

When she meets them she discovers that she is essentially a blond version of London: the two looked very much alike, had similar likes (notably, yellow roses), even London's dog (who had retreated after London's death) came up to her as if she were London herself. She also realizes that she is falling in love with Dawson; ultimately she breaks off her engagement with Connor. When she learns of Louise's kidney issues, she agrees to be tested, discovers she is a match, and agrees to donate one of her kidneys to Louise, believing this to be the reason she came to Portland. Her relationship with her parents improves only slightly; though she speaks with them and tells them of her plans, she doesn't tell them she loves them.

The surgery is a success and Maddie (along with grandfather John Baxter) returns to Indiana and restores her relationship with her family. Larry and Louise return to regular church attendance. And Dawson (who worked for his father in the property management business) moves to where his father has chosen to expand: Indianapolis. Upon arrival he reconnects with Maddie and they renew their relationship.

Bonus Chapter

Dawson finally meets the extended Baxter family at a birthday party for Hayley. Originally planning to relocate to Indianapolis, Dawson and his father instead discover an opportunity to renovate part of downtown Bloomington, and move the branch location there, thus allowing him to be closer to Maddie.

While together, John mentions that a man named Wilson Gage was very instrumental in his early life; Dawson mentions that he had a great uncle by that name who had moved to Bloomington before they lost track, and after showing John a picture confirmed that they were one and the same person.

John then mentions how he met Wilson Gage: while driving from Michigan to Illinois to meet up with Elizabeth (who was pregnant with his child; the two were not yet married) his car broke down while passing through Bloomington in front of Wilson's house. Miraculously, Wilson had everything needed to repair John's car, then insisted he stay for dinner. Wilson began to share his faith with John, who was not interested -- the only Christian he knew was Elizabeth's tyrannical father -- but ultimately Wilson convinced John to ask God to reveal Himself to him and to give him a marriage and family so wonderful that everyone else would want to know about it. Ultimately, when John was seeking work, he had two job offers, one in Bloomington which he chose because of Wilson Gage.

John finds Wilson's number and provides it to Dawson. He then sees a picture of a wedding -- that of Dawson and Maddie -- with Wilson sitting in a middle pew, just as John remembered him years ago.

The main theme of the book is the topic of embryonic adoption, and the legal and moral issues surrounding it.

A secondary theme is that of regret. Maddie's parents regret not telling her about her adoption sooner, almost costing them a relationship with her. London's parents regret not trying for another child, which almost costs Louise her life. Worse, they never instilled their faith into London, which nearly resulted in London spending eternity separated from God.