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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dancing Through Life with God, September 10, 2008
This review is from: Rhythms of Grace (Paperback)
Dance class is not always easy and neither is life. Grace Okoye has been dancing with two left feet for far too long. When Grace receives a letter and an old notebook asking her to return to the neighborhood from where she ran so many years before, the melody of her life quickly becomes a beat she can dance to. In Marilynn Griffith's Rhythms of Grace, one woman returns to her home town where others are trying to find the right beat for their life as well.
When Grace arrives in the small town of Testimony, Ohio her friend, Zeely Wilkins, has already set up her home for her. Zeely is a preacher's daughter, a teacher at the Imani Academy, a dancer, and a singer. She is organized in almost every way. The extra box Grace has is not the only thing Zeely tucks away in a dark corner. Will Zeely share with Grace what lies beneath the surface? Will she finally make the decision she has been battling for years?
In Rhythms of Grace the men have issues too, while still being macho. Dr. Brian Mayfield is one of them; dealing with the reality of his missing past. He is a sexy, loc-wearing tough guy, who has to share his classroom with the breathtaking Ms. Okoye. Fighting with his self, those around him and God, Dr. Mayfield finds a little trouble he was not expecting. Will he walk away from the Imani Academy to get away from his problems? Will he be able to survive sharing his space with Grace, without breaking down and believing God brought her to him?
The saying "each one teach one" fits perfectly in the same breath and statement as Rhythms of Grace. Of all the books I have read by Marilynn Griffith, this one is my all-time favorite. The characters are so real to me. I am certain I could find these people in my everyday life. I did not want this story to end. The words flowed across the pages like music flowing through the air wrapping itself around the body of a dancer. The only thing I am left wondering is will there be a sequel. I recommend Rhythms of Grace to lovers of music, dancers, Christian fiction; anyone who wants to read a book where they most likely will find someone they can relate to or know.
Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!, August 25, 2008
This review is from: Rhythms of Grace (Paperback)
Marilynn Griffith's latest rendering, Rhythms of Grace is an exquisite tapestry of colorful, multi-dimensional characters, and a richly textured storyline woven together by the threads of Biblical truth.
As a child, Diana (Grace) Dixon is the proverbial square peg being forced into a round hole. Her dark-skinned, elitist mother tries to stifle any semblance of ties with her African American heritage by insisting that her daughter adapt to a white gloves and lace lifestyle. Fourteen-year-old Diana is enrolled in a traditional ballet class where she is constantly being "corrected" by the white ballet instructor who neither understands, nor appreciates the physical characteristics of women who are of African descent.
Diana's father recognizes his daughter's fish-out-of water plight and provides a respite by enrolling her into an Afro-centric dance class located in the old neighborhood. The mother vehemently objects to the type of dance instruction and the location it is held in because it is a public recreation center where common folks go. Nevertheless, Daddy Dixon proudly escorts his daughter to and from the dance classes that set her soul free. The moment her feet strike "Zion" Diana is drawn into, and becomes one with the rhythms and beats that can only be produced by the soul. The dance instructor, Joyce, intuitively recognizes Diana's innate gift and takes her under her wing. For the first time she feels a sense of home and belonging.
However, the respite is short-lived. While her father and protector is away on a business trip, Diana is dragged from a bus stop and savagely raped by an older teen. Her attacker leaves her physically and emotionally bleeding. Her mother is convinced that the adolescent brought the attack on herself and has no reservations about sharing her distorted beliefs. The weight of guilt from not being there to rescue Diana from the attack renders her father emotionally unavailable until the day he dies, leaving his beloved daughter wandering and flailing through life's mazes.
Adult Diana makes futile efforts to shed her painful past by moving away and replacing given name with Grace, her middle name. After years away from the town where she experienced immeasurable agony, she is summoned back home by Joyce, her childhood dance instructor. When Grace returns she reconnects with a childhood crush, a treasured friend and encounters a host of other equally conflicted characters. Witnessing Joyce's wisdom and incessant optimism as she is embroiled in her own private battles serve as guideposts along Grace's pathway on her journey to Christ's loving, healing redemptive grace.
---V. Mason Theus, author of Brown Paper Bag, a novel
Chocolate Pages Reviewer
Rhythms of Grace
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
(RAW Rating: 4.5) A Choir Revealed, November 12, 2008
This review is from: Rhythms of Grace (Paperback)
RHYTHMS OF GRACE by Marilynn Griffith opens in 1984 in Testimony, Ohio. It consists of three sections, beginning with the Chorus. The story highlights Diana Grace Dixon as a clumsy and miserable ballet dancer who is told that a favor is being bestowed upon her because her snobbish mother begged for the opportunity. Her saving grace is her father, who whisks, Diana away from the elitist school and enrolls her in a afro-centric dance school, much to her mother's dismay. Also showcased are other players who have solid roles throughout the novel. There is Zeely, a preacher's daughter and a friend of Diana's; Brian, the drummer at the dance school; Ron the white boy who somehow finds himself being raised in the same household with Brian; Jeremiah, the son of the church's first family and Joyce, Diana's dance instructor and mentor.
The second section is titled Harmony and the third is Rhythms. Each chapter alternates between the characters and examines their past and present. Fast forward twenty years, Diana who now goes by the name Grace Okoye, is summoned back to Testimony by her former dance instructor, to teach and bring her gift to the students of an alternative school. Grace has trepidation about returning because of a brutal assault that occurred as a teen and the consequences of the assault. Intertwined are the childhood memories and adult lives of Zeely, Brian, Ron and Jeremiah. As adults, each character's life story is somehow related to Grace and the past, coupled with the present, comes crashing down on each of them.
RHYTHMS OF GRACE is an excellent piece about redemptive love, grace and mercy. It is filled with messages for the masses and highlights both the redeeming and abandoned qualities of each character. Each character survived ordeals with God's guidance and as we watched their battles unfold it is evident that the power of prayer is a mainstay that protects us daily. I highly recommend RHYTHMS OF GRACE for the quality of the writing, the characterizations, the social commentary and yes, the story within!
Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers
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