Customer Reviews

Days of Grace: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Catherine Hall's début novel, "Days of Grace" is, quite simply, an amazing achievement. Complex and emotionally charged throughout, it spans some 50 years in two alternating but converging narratives of a single life -- that of Nora, now an old woman, living alone and dying of cancer; consumed by a guilty secret that has haunted her for much of her adult life. The tale tells of love, loss, and abandonment but really, above all, the fatality of impossible relationships, the anguish they create, the guilt they engender and the tragic outcomes that inevitably ensue. And yet, this book follows by no means any standard pattern of tragedy; there is no formulaic element to this book at all. Ms Hall keeps her reader both engrossed from the outset as well as guessing right to the very end, maintaining a high standard of writing throughout. If the book has a flaw it is that some of the pivotal characters are a little thinly developed and their actions do not always sit right upon them. That said, the story remains mostly credible; it strikes me that it would dramatise well and I would not be at all surprised to see this as a two- or three-parter on (British) TV some time. I would urge you to read the book before that happens, as much of its beauty and complexity will inevitably be lost in that process and it would be a shame to miss out on that.

Highly recommended.

Catherine Hall shows a maturity in her writing far beyond her years. Not only does she have insight into the inner most thoughts of two young girls with whom, no doubt, she can relate, but she has an uncanny knack of getting inside the heads of characters far older than herself. Her powers of observation and psycho-analysis are extraordinary. The story takes us winging back, at one moment, to our own precious, innocent childhoods and then, in the next moment, plonks us firmly back in the present - with all the intricate dilemmas created by our own maturation.
On the one hand there is a familiarity about the story and, on the other hand, there is a mystery which keeps one reading, with baited breath, until the very last page. Poignant, sad, inevitable, thought-provoking; call the story what you will. Talented,remarkable, destined for fame - that, in my humble opinion, is Catherine Hall.

This is a touching and beautifully written story of a young girl/old woman telling her past and speculating on the future as she lies dying of cancer. What makes this book so fascinating is that there are two subplots - one about the experiences of her youth and the second with her realizing that she can still do some good before her life slips away. The tales are told in alternating chapters, and both are compelling, holding the reader's attention from the first paragraph to the very last. In fact, the last page of this book is the best and most movingly written ending of any novel I have ever read.

I agree with other reviewers that the secondary characters could use some more development. However, this one minor flaw is not enough to detract from the telling of a painfully exquisite love born in childhood and framed within the horrendous realities of war. Read this book and you will be transported from the war-torn streets of London to the innocence of youth in an English countryside and back again. Very highly recommended.

A simple premise, truthfully told of WWII London evacuees, reluctant children taken from grieving, yet unfaltering mothers and fathers to a safer haven in the English countryside. Thus, we meet Nora and her devoted mother as they part, forever lost in that innocent moment, never to physically reclaim that indestructible bond of mother and child.

Catherine Hall immaculately weaves the evocative narratives of Nora's ostensibly carefree and guileless countryside life with beautiful, charming Grace and her presumably conventional parents, Vicar and Mrs. Rivers. As secrets unfold, Nora and Grace clandestinely embark upon a haunting and gripping sequence of events in London, which culminate, in a perilous journey from innocence to guilt that will tragically consume Nora until her final days.

Finely embellished with past and present narratives, Nora Lynch's unexpected evolvement from lonely window peeper within her limited narrow world to an intrepid leap in her reluctant reaching out to another young woman in need, ultimately compels Nora not only to face, but to acknowledge and forgive her youthful transgressions and to find comforting release.

Discomforting at times, yet undeniably forceful, Grace and Nora suffer unexpected hardships too soon, as Shakespeare reminds us: "...My salad days, /When I was green in judgment, cold in blood..." Unquestionably, a most provocative read, not to be forgotten as I considered how many post-WWII young women faced overwhelming circumstances, and how each confronted resulting personal demons through vastly diverse paths.

As the Germans bomb London, many children are evacuated to the countryside. Twelve years old Nora Lynch is one such 12 year old. In Kent Vicar and Mrs. Rivers takes Nora into their home. Over the next few years she relishes living with the Lynch family and dreads going back to London as their daughter, Grace, who is her age, becomes like a sister to her; even as she begins to the notice the cracks in the idyllic family.

Five decades later, Nora is dying from cancer. She brings into her home a single teenage mom Rose and her newborn daughter whom she helped bring into the world as a midwife. Rose allows Nora to name her baby and the grateful elderly woman calls her Grace.

This is a fascinating tale with two subplots fifty years apart that ultimately converge in a terrific climax. Nora, Grace, and Rose are wonderful fully developed protagonists who make the duality entertaining to follow. Although the key support cast is not as solid as needed to further flesh out the tale, fans will relish the fabulous Days of Grace.

Harriet Klausner

I listened to the audiobook version of Days of Grace which was brilliantly read by Josephine Bailey, she brought the characters to life so vividly and her accents were spot on.

I will not go into too much detail about why I loved this book because the previous positive reviews have expressed most of what I felt about it. Yes, it is heavy and depressing at times, even grueling in a couple of passages but the writing is too good, the story so engrossing that to let that get in the way of reading it would mean missing out on great literature.

I'm fairly certain this is the first time I have been completely clueless as to how to start my review. My normal banter seems wildly inappropriate, yet focusing entirely on the gloom, I feel will have an adverse effect.

When I first read the slip cover for "Days of Grace" I picked up two very distinctive things,

1. Struggling with the affects of war through the eyes of a 12 year old girl

2. Experiencing the inner turmoil of a lost love

but when it was all said and done, when I closed the back cover, and switched off the light, it occurred to me that what I got was so much more.

Troubled with the idea of loosing her daughter unnecessarily to war, Nora's mother does the unthinkable... offers her up as an evacuee, and plops her on a train bound for the country, however, what her mother sees as a selfless act of sacrifice, Nora saw as abandonment. Unsure of herself (or her surroundings) Nora's mind starts to run wild, that is until she meets Grace. As a girl who is used to running free (and getting her way) Grace teaches Nora a whole world of things she never knew existed... books, beauty, and love... but when Nora's love continues to go unrequited, and her life suddenly starts to take a direct left, the place that she lovingly started to refer to as home, is not so welcoming anymore. In an effort to escape an unhealthy situation, and take control of her own future, Nora decides to runaway. With Grace, dutifully by her side, the two girls set out to experience the other side of life... the war torn, desolate streets of London. Will their love for each other be enough to battle the forces around them, will the shady side of their new home tear them apart, and will Nora ever accomplish the most challenging feat of all... forgiving herself for the things she has done for love?

"Catherine Hall" did exactly the opposite of what I expected in this novel... she focused on the negative. This story was not about WWII, or even an enduring friendship for that matter, what is was... was a story about a young girl so desperate for a family, that her own conscience created a mutilated web of abandonment issues, and internal punishment. The fact that Hall used such a significant, (and life altering) war as her backdrop only added fuel to the already abundant turmoil. Now... does the fact that this novel is so blatantly depressing mean that I disliked like it? No... on the contrary, the writing (for being a debut novel) was quiet impressive. The plot was split into 2 eras, both boasting the same narrative voice (Nora) but both in very different times in their life. Writing in this way not only allowed the reader to experience Nora's emotional unsteadiness as a young girl, but also allowed the reader to connect to her on a deeper level, as her age gave way to unfiltered thoughts of the past. The character development was astounding, (there was no way the story could have possibly made sense without it) but the thing that caught my interest was Hall's very straight forward way of relaying details. There were no paragraphs of flowery descriptives, letters of profession, or even filler chapters (which so many new authors rely on) instead, you had a straight forward plot, with a straight forward objective, with just enough twist to keep the reader from taking unscheduled trips in their own head.

Do I think this book is for everyone? No. The novel, as a whole, was well written, but remains a difficult read, and though it's lovely (in its own way) it remains sad. Only those truly dedicated to literary structure, and an artfully crafted story need apply, I'm afraid that everyone else will find it to much to handle, and consequently... be unhappy with the book as a whole.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Sometimes it's healthier to love the attainable, than to destroy our lives with the untouchable.

I made the mistake of seeing the cover jacket, reading part of the description - that of a friendship between two girls brought together during the exodus of children moved from London to the country during WWII, and thinking it would be a reasonably uplifting YA friendship story.

Unfortunately I found the subject matter and subsequent events depressing, and none of the characters admirable or even really likable. I also wasn't expecting the friendship of the main character for her friend to turn into a sort of creepy obsession. There was so much dysfunction - between parents, the girl and her parents, the two girls' relationship. All that anathema and jealousy was stomach turning, and all inappropriate. I'm sure the writer is competent, but the subject matter was just not for me.

I did not like the book. I must admit that it was well written and easy to read. It kept my interest. It was gloomy and not fun. It was a good example of what can happen if we keep secrets burried.