Great Reads Monday - Redeeming Grace by Smoky Trudeau

Smoky Trudeau is the author of two novels and two nonfiction books especially for writers.  Her stories and poetry have been published in literary journals and online e-zines.  She was a 2003 Pushcart Prize Nominee. Finally succumbing to her bohemian spirit and need to live near the mountains and the ocean, Smoky moved to Southern California in 2008, where she lives with her husband and daughter in a ramshackle cottage in the woods overlooking the San Gabriel Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond. When she isn’t writing, she spends her time hiking in the mountains, camping in the Sierras, splashing in tidepools, and fighting the urge to speak in haiku.  You're going to love her book, Reedeming Grace - this week's Great Read!

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. Otto Singer charms Grace with his gentle courtship and devotion to his brother, Henry. But after their marriage, Otto is unable to share with Grace the terrible secret he has kept more than twenty years. Otto believes he is responsible for a tragic accident that claimed the life of a young woman and left Henry severely brain damaged. Luther's insane ravings and increasingly violent behavior force Grace to question and reassess the patriarchal religious beliefs of her childhood. Then tragedy strikes just when Otto's secret is uncovered, unleashing demons that threaten to destroy the entire family. Can Grace find the strength to save them, and in the process find her own redemption? Redeeming Grace is set on Maryland's eastern shore in the late 1920's. The book will appeal to lovers of literary fiction who enjoy theological debate and who understand happy endings, in novels as in life, sometimes come at a heavy price.

One reader says:

"Love, pain, guilt and secrets, guilt are skillfully woven throughout this story which takes place in rural Maryland in the 1920's. Smoky Trudeau manages to walk a very fine line without ever crossing it. Her villains are quite mad but not unbelievable. Redeeming Grace is a story of marital love, understanding and forgiveness. Throughout the moments and days of contentment and joy are memories of tragedy and loss. Partially known secrets and a feeling of impending danger make this book an unforgettable page turner." - M.S.

Visit Smoky's website to read more!

Or buy Redeeming Grace today on Amazon.com!