~The Saving Graces~

by Patricia Gaffney

      Heroines: Varied

        True friendship is a priceless commodity, one which can not be purchased, only given freely.

       Ethereal Isabel struggles to be a survivor of cancer not once but twice.  Lee is a motherly daycare director who ironically craves but cannot have a child of her very own.  Rudy is the beauty whose life is so painfully ugly.  And Emma is the journalist whose longing to write the next great American novel is eclipsed only by her desire for a man she loves but cannot have.

       Together these four loving, giving girlfriends see each other through some of the most difficult times of their lives with humor, strength, and of course . . grace.

      What worked for me:

      This story was so warm and touching and the characters' circumstances were so very real that I cried and laughed along with the ladies.  I was so sorry to come to the end of this book, and my first thought upon closing its covers was, "I want my very own 'Graces'!" 

        Size didn't really enter into this story except in the case of Emma, who sounded as though she was pleasingly plump and unable to see herself as being as attractive as others thought her to be.  However, it was not a topic that the author dwelled upon for very long.

What didn't work for me:    

       This novel is written in first person point-of-view, a tricky thing since we hear alternately from each of the four main characters.  I found it helpful to mentally assign each woman her own "voice" so that I could better keep them separated in my mind as I was first getting to know them.

      I did wish for a bit more detail about scenery and character development seen through my own eyes instead having it explained to me by the key players.  Essentially, the book reads like a 5-way phone-call between you and the Graces so you may not quite feel you are there with them physically.

Overall:

      "The Saving Graces" is a wonderful read for those who savor bittersweet stories about true friendship, and the dash of romance ought to satisfy fans of Eros as well.  (I'm definitely going to make more of an effort in searching out "women's fiction" titles of this kind to read!)

     Warning: there is some coarse language in this book.

      If you liked "The Saving Graces" you might also enjoy other stories about friendship such as: "Love at Large", "The Fat Friend", "Sisterhood Situation", "Circle of Friends", "Tara Road", "Princess Charming", "Fast Women", and "The Red Tent".    

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