Saving Gracie by Terry Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This amazing story by Terry Lee was like nothing I have ever read.  Having lost my mother several years ago to the monster that is cancer, I felt very much in tune with every emotion that Grace went through before and after the loss of her mother, Kathryn.  What makes this novel even more magnificent is the fact that a reader can probably find something within the pages to which they can relate.  Whether it is raising a child with a disabilit,  surviving loss, marriage triumphs and troubles, or an overbearing mother, you will find it between the covers of Saving Gracie.  The book tells the story of Grace and her mother Kathryn.  Kathryn is a take charge, on my terms mother who believes her daughter cannot function on a day to day basis without her assistance.  Grace aids in her mother's overbearing personality by calling her numerous times a day to get advice on anything from cooking to place settings at a dinner party.  Grace's life is forever changed when her mother is taken from her by cancer and she is left to run her family without her mother's daily advice and phone chats.  Grace has to raise her children, rejoin society, and save her marriage all on her own.  On top of the grief she is still trying to deal with this can prove to be next to impossible at times.  Kathryn finds herself trying to keep the promise to her daughter that she will find a way to take care of things from the "other side."  There were so many little quirks and situations in this story that made it that much more wonderful.  The little girl, Cherry that tugged at my heartstrings.  Kathryn's sister Ruth.  And the ever hilarious Ruby just to name a few.  I went through at least a half of a box of tissues as I read Saving Gracie but still found myself laughing through the tears.  If you are looking for a unique and heartwarming tale of loss, grief, and the afterlife, Ms. Lee has shot it out of the ballpark with Saving Gracie.

Platinum Book Reviews gives Terry and Saving Gracie:

5 Platinum Rings!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blurb:

Kathryn Broussard has managed her life with dignity and an I know you have feelings, but I'm coming through anyway attitude. She exudes confidence and control over the land much as a reigning queen rules her court. Her main focus-Grace, her daughter. Although grown, Grace depends on her mother's razor sharp decision-making ability for everything. All is well in the land of dysfunctional mother-daughterhood until the unthinkable happens. Kathryn dies. With her mother now gone, Grace is forced to manage her own life for the first time. And Kathryn must find a way to maintain control of her daughter, even though unusual circumstances from the "Other Side" present a fair share of obstacles to overcome. A mother's love, however dysfunctional, is a force to be reckoned with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

Her mother's smile.  Like a kick in the stomach, Grace realized she had depended on that smile her whole life.  Without warning, Grace's legs buckled, reducing her to a crumpled heap on the floor.  Wrenching sobs erupted from the pit of her stomach and moved upward, the emotional pain choking her.

Kathryn, in her weakened condition, moved from her chair to where Grace slumped on the floor.  She somehow found the strength to lead Grace to the sofa.  "It's okay, Gracie, I'll figure something out."

"You can't fix this!" Grace sobbed, dropping her head to rest in her mother's lap.  She closed her eyes and caught a hint of Obsession, her mother's perfume.  

"No worries, my love."  Kathryn stroked Grace's hair.  "I'll never leave you."  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~Find Terry Lee here on Facebook~~~