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Days of Grace: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.05) - 309 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
At the beginning of World War II, twelve-year-old Nora Lynch is one of thousands of London children sent away to the safety of the English countryside. Her surrogate family, Reverend and Mrs. Rivers and their daughter, Grace, are like no one she has ever met, offering shelter, affection, and the sister she never had. But Nora is too young and too naïve to understand the cracks beneath the surface of her idyllic new life at the rectory or the disappointments of the Riverses' marriage. And as her friendship with Grace grows more intense, she aches to become even closer. What happens next is a secret that she keeps for more than fifty years, a secret that she can begin to reveal only when, elderly and alone, Nora knows that she is close to the end.
A beautiful meditation on love, friendship, and family, Days of Grace is a stunning debut that brings a tumultuous era to life. Nora tells her story in alternating chapters from the past and present, projecting her childhood nostalgia with a cinematic glow.
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"This book had a dark side to it from the start that almost put me off, but eventually, the main character grew on me and I wanted to know how it ended. This is the third book I've read lately that alternates chapters between two times in the life of the main character [or characters]. It's an interesting device, and it can make more interesting a story that might otherwise fall flat. This one lacked something in the telling that would have made it more immediate, more urgent. The historical background was interesting and made real, but I never really felt the depth of passion Nora had for Grace. Despite that fault, I still found it engrossing, hence the 4 stars."
— K. (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Bailey’s light British accent is perfect, and her subtle adjustments of pitch and clarity, which permit effortless transitions from naïve child to bitter old woman, are most impressive.”
— AudioFile -
“The prose, flitting between the present and wartime Kent, is as crisp, efficient, and quietly moving as Nora herself. Her attempt to find redemption and her struggle to forgive herself will engage readers to the end.”
— Booklist -
Sarah Waters meets Daphne du Maurier.
— Harper's Bazaar UK
Days of Grace Listener Reviews
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" Kept my interest, good story "
— Et, 2/20/2014 -
" Really enjoyed this. It was not cheery but a good story and I raced through it. It follows a girl evacuated during the war who falls in love with the daughter of the host family and all the repercussions that emanate from that and her decisions. "
— Judith, 2/12/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book.....the beginning was kind of slow but once you got into the story, it was very intriguing. "
— Allyson, 2/7/2014 -
" Nora looks back on her youth in England during WWII and her friendship with Grace. I enjoyed the message but necessarily the way in which it was presented. "
— Natalie, 1/22/2014 -
" It was an easy read and the story was interesting from an historical perspective. Not the greatest book I ever read but OK. "
— Simone, 1/19/2014 -
" It took me quite a while to get into this, but once I was hooked I was totally absorbed. Has a good feel for London. "
— Daffy, 1/18/2014 -
" Loved the author's writing style. Will try another of her books. "
— Sally, 1/17/2014 -
" 12yr old Nora is evacuated to kent on the eve of WW2, where she quickly becomes part of the family and is especially close to Grace. On the whole I enjoyed this, although it took me simply ages to read. It was a bit ponderous in places, and I found myself a bit bored by parts of it. "
— Jo, 9/11/2013 -
" Its not a bad book... but it lacked some spark to make it exciting. "
— Danni, 8/15/2013 -
" While this was a pretty engrossing book, it's one of those books where bad things keep happening and you keep waiting for it to let up, but it never does. "
— Anita, 7/5/2013 -
" This book was told in two voices - Nora a young evacuee from London in World War 2 and also in the voice of elderly Nora who is dying of cancer. It was very interesting how Nora was affected by this for the rest of her life and how damaged she was by her childhood experience. "
— Anne, 4/22/2013 -
" An idyllic suburban house where a WWII evacuee, Nora Lynch, is housed proves to be full of dark secrets, and one of them is Nora's own. "
— Carolynne, 11/11/2012 -
" Nora, an anti-heroine with annoying viewpoints. "
— Connie, 7/13/2012 -
" I lived the twist and turns and I never really knew where I was being taken. Really good book. "
— Margaret, 4/17/2012 -
" It's not that I didn't enjoy this, I was just expecting rather more. The childhood evacuation story line was excellent, very descritive and engaging: Nora and Rose's story counterbalanced it nicely. But I thought the last third was a little disappointing and the ending did rather telegraph itself. "
— Annie, 1/6/2012 -
" What a variety of emotions one experiences when reading this book. "
— Rosemary, 1/1/2012 -
" Readable but stereotypical. I kept wanting it to just push at the boundaries a wee bit. "
— Juliet, 9/19/2011 -
" Truly wonderful story of what "love" means to two teenage girls brought together in WW2 "
— Mark, 8/22/2011 -
" Enjoyed this but there weren't many surprises, it was pretty predictable really. An easy read but not particularly memorable. "
— seanat, 7/7/2011 -
" Truly wonderful story of what "love" means to two teenage girls brought together in WW2 "
— Mark, 6/9/2011 -
" It is possible to have a non-tragic ending to such a story, an author should try it some time. "
— Liz, 6/6/2011 -
" Sad, but well structured, well written novel. "
— Hayley, 5/16/2011 -
" I lived the twist and turns and I never really knew where I was being taken. Really good book. "
— Margaret, 1/27/2011 -
" It was an easy read and the story was interesting from an historical perspective. Not the greatest book I ever read but OK. "
— Claudette, 1/3/2011 -
" I loved this book. A bit distressing though. "
— Shellie, 12/14/2010 -
" Nora looks back on her youth in England during WWII and her friendship with Grace. I enjoyed the message but necessarily the way in which it was presented. "
— Natalie, 12/7/2010 -
" While this was a pretty engrossing book, it's one of those books where bad things keep happening and you keep waiting for it to let up, but it never does. "
— Anita, 8/24/2010 -
" I have to say, I kind of loved this book. I got all choked up at the end. Nora, the narrator, is a conflicted and not always likeable character, but that just made her more real. "
— Roxanne, 8/11/2010 -
" 3.5 stars really. It was a good quick read, but nothing you need to run right out and get. "
— Chris, 8/7/2010 -
" This book was told in two voices - Nora a young evacuee from London in World War 2 and also in the voice of elderly Nora who is dying of cancer. It was very interesting how Nora was affected by this for the rest of her life and how damaged she was by her childhood experience. "
— Anne, 7/19/2010
About Catherine Hall
Catherine Hall was born in the Lake District in 1973 and brought up in an extended family on a remote hill farm. After reading English at Cambridge University, she moved to London, where she worked in documentary film production and then for an international peace-building organization before becoming a freelance writer and editor for human rights and development charities. She now divides her time between London and Italy.
About Josephine Bailey
Josephine Bailey’s impeccable narrations include the British classics Jane Eyre and The Secret Garden. She has also used her subtly nuanced style to enliven historical fiction and light romances. She has won nine AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award.