Genre:
Suspense/Historical Fiction
Description:
“It’s the early twentieth century, and the tragic deaths of her mother
and two younger siblings have left Grace Harmon responsible for raising her
sister Miriam and protecting her from their abusive father Luther, a zealot
preacher with a penchant for speaking in Biblical verse who is on a downward
spiral toward insanity.
In the midst of his delusions, Luther believes God has abandoned him
and devises a plan to get back into His good graces—a plan that puts both his
daughters’ lives in danger and unleashes a frenzy of events that threaten to
destroy the entire family.
Will Luther succeed in carrying out his crazed plot against his
daughters, or will an unlikely hero step in to rescue them all?”
Author:
“Smoky Zeidel is a poet, novelist, and earth mage, whose love of the
natural world is thematic in all she writes. She taught writing and creativity
workshops for many years at venues throughout the Midwest before succumbing to
her bohemian urges and moving to California. Her work has earned her several
nominations for the prestigious Pushcart Prize. Smoky lives with her husband
Scott and a plethora of animals, both domestic and wild.”
Appraisal:
Wow. What a story.
When I’m looking for a book to read, the information I use to decide
will often set certain expectations. Things like the genre(s) I’ve been told
the book fits in, past experience with the author’s books, and possibly the
book description. For this book I had the blurb and information that it was in
the suspense or thriller genre. Nothing else. It turns out that it could
possibly be called historical since it takes place in the early twentieth
century (clearly stated in the book description, but not something that registered
with me) rather than contemporary times.
Although the story has the suspense you’d expect from that genre, what
sets it apart is that the various causes of suspense have much deeper meaning beyond
the obvious mystery and tension typical of the genre. You’ll have reason to
consider family relationships and the obligations that might come with them
from multiple angles. There are a couple story threads that should have you
considering the past and how it impacts the present. If you’re inclined, you
might find yourself considering religion as a tool for both good and evil.
Suspense stories don’t typically have this much depth. That Redeeming Grace does is a positive from
my viewpoint.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No significant issues
Rating:
***** Five Stars
Reviewed
by: BigAl
Approximate
word count: 50-55,000 words
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