Grace at Low Tide (Paperback)

by Beth Webb Hart (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Critics of evangelical novels often talk about the dearth of literary fiction in the Christian market, but this debut from South Carolina native Hart comes close to that coveted adjective. DeVeaux DeLoach's Daddy has gone belly-up after one too many bad business deals, so the DeLoaches must quit their fancy Charleston digs for a small country cottage. DeVeaux has to pull out of her posh prep school and take a weekend job. Daddy grows progressively meaner throughout the book, screaming at the family, ordering DeVeaux's mother to get a job and cruelly mocking her plump physique. For her part, Mama is mainly worried that DeVeaux, now old enough to turn men's heads, remain chaste. DeVeaux is kept afloat by her Christian faith, a cousin and the youth group leader at her church. DeVeaux's charming narration is the book's greatest strength—readers will love DeVeaux like a sister by the end—and its greatest weakness, for she's still an adolescent but sounds implausibly wise for her age. Still, this is a promising novel by a lovely, gifted writer. (July 14)
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From Booklist
*Starred Review* Like Mick in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, DeVeaux DeLoach is one of those precocious southern girls full of wisdom and charm. She serves as the wry witness when her dad's investments go sour and his proud family must decamp to their rundown plantation on the South Carolina island of Edisto. Various of Daddy's schemes to recoup his losses come to nothing, and he grows steadily more abusive; meanwhile, DeVeaux gives up her fancy private school and takes a job, her faith sustaining her. Hart has turned in a fine first novel. Fans of Anne Rivers Siddons John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595540261
• ISBN-13: 978-1595540263
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #661,575 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Further proof that God has not given up on the Christian publishing industry, August 3, 2005

By	FaithfulReader.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

The first thing you should know about GRACE AT LOW TIDE is that it's a work of literary fiction. The second thing you should know is that it's a work of Christian literary fiction. And the third thing you should know is that it's a work that offers further proof that God has not given up on the Christian publishing industry.

In case I haven't made myself clear, let me do so now: I loved GRACE AT LOW TIDE.

The story is told from the perspective of DeVeaux DeLoach, a teenager whose father, Billy, has suffered one business failure too many. His latest debacle has forced the family to move from their fine home in Charleston to a caretaker's cottage on the grounds of Rose Hill Plantation, which used to be the family plantation. From their new home in the South Carolina low country, the family has a clear view of a multi-million dollar development rising on a nearby island --- the very project that did Billy's business in and sent the family packing for poorer quarters.

If you've ever known a bona fide member of pretentious Southern gentility, the name DeVeaux DeLoach just has to make you chuckle inside. Who else would couple the name DeVeaux with DeLoach but an aristocratic wannabe? And one of those wannabes is named Billy! Oh my. I guess you can take the aristocrat out of the Southerner, but you just can't take the Southerner out of the aristocrat. I love it.

DeVeaux, who has been forced to leave prep school to attend the local high school, now spends her free time waiting tables rather than focusing on those accomplishments that will impress university admissions departments. As the story unfolds, she serves as a highly attached observer as she and her family try to adjust to their deteriorating circumstances. Billy's way of "adjusting," however, involves throwing temper tantrums --- even less attractive for an adult than for a two-year-old --- berating DeVeaux, mocking her mother, and treating those things that the two women love as if it was yesterday's garbage. Which is exactly what some of those things become.

Now to the factors that make this a distinctly Christian novel and why I hope other Christian authors and publishers will sit up and take notice of what the author has done here. DeVeaux's faith is evident throughout the book, in what she says, how she thinks, and what she does, such as attend youth group meetings in Charleston despite the difficulty she sometimes has in getting there. (An aside: There's a brand-new car she could use, but Billy refuses to let anyone, including himself, drive it. The car was a gift, and his pride can't handle that.) What sets Beth Webb Hart apart from many other evangelical authors is her subtle and graceful handling of DeVeaux's faith. There's never the slightest hint of preachiness in this faith-rich story.

Orbiting the DeLoaches' lives are a number of well-drawn characters, like DeVeaux's Cousin Eli, who helps her retain her sanity; the Shuzuki family, who bought Rose Hill and are in the process of renovating it; Maum Bess, Billy's childhood nanny, and her son Chambers, who live nearby; Bethany, the youth group leader; C.C., with whom DeVeaux has her first official date; and several other human characters. But among the leading characters in GRACE AT LOW TIDE is the South Carolina low country, which serves as far more than simply a backdrop to the story.

Hart, the author of this debut novel, is a creative writing teacher and my nominee for Writing Teacher of the Year. I don't know if she teaches at writers' conferences, but I certainly hope so. In fact, I think some of our bestselling Christian novelists ought to be forced to spend a week under her mentorship. This woman is so talented that I'm ready to travel to Charleston so I can take in a few sessions with her.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly enjoyable, August 2, 2005

By	Derek S. Chiarenza (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Beth Webb Hart's "Grace at Low Tide" is a delightful story of a teenage girl's struggle to reconcile her faith with her family's economic misfortunes and her own emotional and moral decisions. Set in the Low Country of South Carolina, Ms. Hart's ability to deliver such an accurate portrayal of this special place and the people who live there is comparable to that of any of the best selling Southern authors writing today. The story is engaging and the writing is superb. This is her first novel- read it and you will long for the next one.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tender, and beautiful story about God's love, mercy and grace, July 14, 2005

By	Meredith - See all my reviews

This is a beautiful, well-written story about a young girl who will truly capture your heart. Hart's writing brings you into the story as if you were a part of it. She had me laughing outloud and at the same time in tears. This story about God's great love, mercy, and redemption has truly blessed my life and most importantly, encouraged me and given me hope.