Despite her abusive parents and harsh country life, 17 year-old Grace has initiative. When she is made to marry a man she didn't want, she escapes from home to live with his older brother and his wife in Chicago to find her own way in life. The story takes place during the earlier first half of the twentieth century.

This novel is not a page-turner, but it was an enjoyable read for me, as it stayed true to the time in which the story occurred.

Some of the characters were developed well enough, but none of them went through any remarkable change, although there was change in the events and in what the characters experienced. Some of the characters and incidents were too good to be true, and others depended on chance rather than a character's action, even though the protagonist was shown as a daring seventeen year-old who took brave steps on her own.

I also liked the slow romantic pace and the writer's musings through the main character even when those musings got in the way of her storytelling. What jolted me out of my seat was the shocking murder-suicide of a secondary character, which conveniently got rid of the two opponents of the main male character. In addition, this event felt too sudden and jarring and shook the easy pleasant pace I had grown accustomed to.

A plus for the writer's pen is in the romance/sex area. Unlike most stories of the romance genre, Sarah Paley has depended on the characters and plot rather than the titillating but totally unnecessary sex scenes to carry the story.

The book was easy to read and left this reader with a pleasant feeling, even if the ending reminded her of too-happy and far-fetched Hollywood endings.

passing time

the lack of plot construction and I felt the characters were forced into action by the writer.

Sarah Paley is a new writer. This is her second book.

It is easy to read.

If you like reading serious fiction, like that of Faulkner's, this book is not at that level, actually far below it, but I still think this author has a promising future. There were some good things about the book.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Finding Grace: A Novel   from Amazon.Com!

Created Sep 05, 2011 at 11:12am • Submit your own review...