Author Jenifer Jones to Sign Books at Whimsy on Main

Ever felt like you don’t belong at the cool kids’ table? Like you are drowning in a sea of anxiety or suffocating under a weight of depression. Questioned God’s love for you? You aren’t alone. Jenifer Jones says she has experienced all this and more and lived to tell the tale.

A native of Milbank, Jenifer will be at Whimsy on Main this Friday, August 2, at 4 p.m. to sign her books Truly Beloved. Everyone is invited.

Jenifer’s poetry and prose chronicles her journey through life and the depression that often results from a cancer diagnosis, but it’s never dark or negative. She draws on nature, her love of God, and her compassion for others who are also suffering on their earthly journey.

According to Jenifer, “My new book features 16 poems about identity, self image, and learning to see ourselves the way God does.” If you think you can’t connect with poetry, or it’s just too difficult to decipher, consider these lines:

As you drive east on Highway 12,
the ground begins to dip and swell.
After Summit, atop a hill,
like perching on a windowsill,
you’re on the threshold of the world,
a living tapestry unfurled.

Beautiful! And about as close to home as you can get. Maybe these lines hit home because Milbank is still home to Jenifer. Her parents are Gary and Jeanette Underwood of Milbank. She is a 2005 graduate of MHS and a graduate of the University of South Dakota. She was employed by South Dakota Public Broadcasting as a reporter, and has also traveled as a missionary. She continues to write and is pursuing a master’s degree in intercultural studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky.