"A hint of magic and mystery propels this story of a grouchy, lonely woman named Minerva Place as she discovers important lessons about life, death, and forgiveness from an unlikely collection of acquaintances, both living and dead. Buchanan bases this uplifting debut novel on well-researched Kentucky history, celebrated tales from a local cemetery, and a wealth of imagination." —Jayne Moore Waldrop, author of Drowned Town
“The story of a hilariously prickly writer who finds inspiration in her imagination (or is it?), TOWARD THE CORNER OF MERCY AND PEACE is about finding the courage to carve your own path while you still have time. Tracey Buchanan is a welcome new voice in women’s fiction.” —Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Everything Must Go
“My new favorite female curmudgeon! Prickly as a pinecone, Mrs. Minerva Place would rather chat with the residents of Oak Grove Cemetery than her own nosy neighbors. Prepare to have your funny bone tickled and your heart melted as Minerva wrestles with the inescapable vulnerability of being alive.” —Lynne Bryant, author of Catfish Alley and Alligator Lake
“A page-turning, beautifully written novel reminiscent of the fiction from Pulitzer-winning Anne Tyler. The Corner of Mercy and Peace introduces us to heart-warming and unforgettable characters, including the wonderfully complex Minerva Place, who is poised to become one of the most memorable in modern fiction. Place is somewhat of a loner who prefers the company of the dead until one unruly little boy steals—and heals—her heart. Southern fiction at its finest.” —Susan Reinhardt, author of The Beautiful Misfits and Chimes from a Cracked Southern Belle
“Tracey Buchanan delivers an unforgettable and unlikely heroine in Mrs. Minerva Place. A crusty old church organist who feels more at home with the dead than the living, Minerva is perfectly content to keep herself safe behind her own walls. At least, she’s content until the day a child walks into her life and, entirely against her will, teaches her the meaning of love, forgiveness, and second chances. With a vivid, unforgettable voice, Buchanan leads the reader on a journey that reminds us that no matter our past wounds or present mistakes, everyone is worthy of love.” —Kathleen M. Basi, award-winning author of A Song for the Road
“With the sure hand of a skilled writer, Buchanan transports us to a world where ghosts from the past stalk a historian and living in the present is fraught with hardships. This author hits the sweet spot of humor and tragedy where anything, even love, is possible.” —Jacqueline Sheehan, NYT bestselling author
“Cranky and clumsy Minerva Place has a problem: The whole town thinks she’s odd and maybe a bit crazy. And what with her habit of visiting the local cemetery and talking to dead people, she wonders if maybe they’re right. Still, if they’d just leave her alone, she’d be content. Then a young widower and his six-year-old son move to Paducah and turn her life upside down. This touching and deeply affecting novel brims with humanity and will leave you contemplating: What does it mean to be connected to others and what do we owe the people whose paths we cross? This gentle-hearted and intimate glimpse into the soul of Minerva Place will stay with you long after you’ve read the last words. It’s a gem.” —Maryka Biaggio, award-winning author of Parlor Games, Eden Waits, The Point of Vanishing, and The Model Spy
2023-04-25
In Buchanan’s paranormal novel, befriending ghosts is easy—it’s real people who pose a problem.
Fifty-two-year-old Minerva Place is an opinionated and judgmental widow with a very active imagination. The anti-social woman does her best to avoid interacting with townspeople in her Paducah, Kentucky, community; she teaches piano lessons to local children, plays organ during Sunday services at her Baptist church, and leads an otherwise uneventful life other than her visits to the Oak Grove cemetery. After finding a gravestone with a name that piques her interest, she visits the town library to research her subject—even if it means she must talk with Harriet Boswell, the librarian, whom she feels is “too smart for her own good.” Later, at her own dining room table, she constructs historically informed narratives about the deceased person, augmented with imagined details. Then Minerva starts seeing and talking to those whose lives she reconstructs. Later, these visits from the other side—and her burgeoning relationship with a new neighbor—help her to reexamine her choices and open her heart to others. Along the way, Buchanan effectively shows how Paducah locals, who are privy to Minerva’s imaginings, aren’t very kind to her despite their attempts at God-fearing fair-mindedness. As the primary voice in the novel, Minerva may come off as one-note to some readers due to her fussy attitude; however, her no-holds-barred observations and criticisms and character studies give the novel a fine sense of humor, as when she considers the local minister, Brother Larson: “Even if he had been the kindest, most generous man on earth, Minerva would have disliked him based on his looks and behavior when leading the assembly in song. She realized this was an unreasonable judgment, but there it was.”
An often humorous tale of a curmudgeon who writes the undead back into the world of the living.
