On Grace: A Novel

by Susie Orman Schnall

Overview

Meet Grace, who is actually excited about turning 40 in a few months, that is, until her job, marriage, and personal life take a dizzying downhill spiral. Can she recover from the most devastating time in her life, right before it's supposed to be one of the best? Fans of Emily Giffin will love Susie Orman Schnall's debut, which is all about rediscovering yourself—with grace—well after you think it's even possible anymore. On Grace deals with themes such as divorce, infidelity, re-entering the workforce after children, breast cancer, and of course, turning 40. This novel is sure to hit a chord with many women readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781940716138
Publisher:	SparkPress
Publication date:	04/08/2014
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Susie Orman Schnall is the author of five novels about ambitious women: Anna Bright Is Hiding Something, We Came Here to Shine, The Subway Girls, The Balance Project, and On Grace. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, HuffPost, PopSugar, Writer’s Digest, Harper’s Bazaar, and Glamour. She’s also a screenwriter currently shopping her first pilot and feature-length screenplay. A mother of three grown sons, Susie was born in Philadelphia, grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and now lives with her husband in New York and Charlotte.

Editorial Reviews

2014-04-16
In Schnall's debut novel, shocking news derails a woman's plans for her 40th birthday and prompts a journey of self-discovery.As she prepares to send her youngest child off to school, stay-at-home mom Grace May dreams of filling her free time writing for Westchester Weekly magazine and rekindling her relationship with her husband, Darren. Unfortunately, the magazine shuts down before she pens her first column, and Darren makes a tearful confession that he cheated on Grace with a cocktail waitress. At first, Grace's situation doesn't seem to justify her panic: She doesn't need to work, and her appropriately sheepish husband seems willing to wine and dine his way back into her good graces. But this isn't enough to stop Grace from feeling sorry for herself or from holding a grudge against Darren. The real source of her discomfort becomes clear as she explains her wavering emotions and self-critical thoughts in long stretches of dialogue with her best friend, Cameron, who's having fertility problems, and her mother and sister, whose relationships with Grace can't fill the void left by her other sister's death. "I'm so conflicted about whether I'm supposed to have a job or whether I'm supposed to be home with the boys," Grace laments. Her mother replies, "You're concerned with what you're supposed to do, instead of doing what you want to do," and she cites how Grace took ballet classes as a child because her teacher complimented her—not because she liked them. The author's blend of girl talk and self-help wisdom reads like a conversation overheard at Starbucks: It's written in a friendly, nonjudgmental voice that any woman would want to hear after a bad day. Just as Grace is ready to forgive Darren, a reunion with her high school crush threatens their marriage once again, and Cameron announces a shocking revelation of her own. Faced with real-world problems, Grace adjusts her priorities, confronts her fears, and in the process of being true to herself, learns the real meaning of the word "grace."A cozy, conversational read featuring a lovably neurotic heroine.

Kirkus Reviews