A gentle yet unflinching look at how we find our way home, in the tradition of Rebecca Wells, Sue Monk Kidd, Olive Ann Burns, and Dorothy Allison. A woman returns to her West Virginia roots to resolve the ghosts of her childhood.
Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie is strong literary women's fiction written with exquisite style. The death of her troubled mother and memories of her abused grandmother lure a young woman back to the Appalachian hollow where she was born. Virginia Kate, the daughter of a beautiful mountain wild-child and a slick, Shakespeare-quoting salesman, relives her turbulent childhood and the pain of her mother's betrayals. Haunted by ghosts and buried family secrets, Virginia Kate struggles to reconcile three generations of her family's lost innocence.
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"Another fictional memoir of childhood trauma and survival (of the main character and many of the supporting characters). The language a bit quirky--part child-speak, part regional dialect (both West Virginia and Cajun Country) -- but not obtrusively so. There's a slight para-normal angle, but the main threads are fully realistic. The main assets are the characters, especially the stepmother, Rebekah, who makes mincemeat of the traditional stepmother tropes." — Lynn (4 out of 5 stars)
"Another fictional memoir of childhood trauma and survival (of the main character and many of the supporting characters). The language a bit quirky--part child-speak, part regional dialect (both West Virginia and Cajun Country) -- but not obtrusively so. There's a slight para-normal angle, but the main threads are fully realistic. The main assets are the characters, especially the stepmother, Rebekah, who makes mincemeat of the traditional stepmother tropes."
" The story of a young woman coming to terms with the failings of her alcoholic mother and eventually finding peace and self-worth. I enjoyed getting to know the main character and exploring her emotions and growth. "
" It has been a long while since I could not put down a book. Finally (long time coming after Cold Mountain) I found it in Tender Graces. After reading other reviews I can only add that this author has captured the thoughts and feelings of a young girl so well. Magendie has succeeded so well that this old gal actually could recall those feelings through the main character, Virginia Kate. An excellent read. "
" Accidently bought this on the Kindle... "
" About facing up to your ghosts and redemption. "
" Wasn't sure about it when I read the first couple of pages. The writing was too overdone for me. Glad I kept reading. "
" This book was a little dark and sad, but beautifully written. I fell in love with the main character. Good read. "
" Another free kindle book. I really enjoyed reading about this young girls story, even though it was sad at times. I may need to pick up the second book to read. And I will probably start saying 'seestor' instead of sister after reading this book! :) "
" I enjoyed this book and bought the sequel...you get totally swept up in the characters lives. "
" I really enjoyed this story. I was glad it was written from the present as a memory, because that let me know that in the end the family was going to be OK. My heart ached for Virginia Kate and her family. I was glad to know they wer also blessed. "
" Strong start and then fell off. Easy read. "
" Excellent story, well done, great characters. "
" I'm so glad this was a freebie on Kindle and was able to discover this author. Before I even finished this, I had added the next book in the series to my Kindle so I could start it immediately. "
" I can't believe this was a free kindle book. I really enjoyed reading the book and did not want it to end. I look forward to reading more from this author. "
" Beautiful account of a girl's home life in the mountains. Easy, slow reading, a beautiful escape. "
" Nice debut novel... Great voice! "
" An emotionally filled story pulling on every heart string available. Full of gall & sweetness. Loved it. I knew I would research the recipes and this book provides an added surprise at the end. "
" Made me reflect on my childhood and who my influences were.......who shaped me and made me who i am "
" Loved, loved, loved. Spoke to my southern girl roots with joy, grief, tenderness and longing. "
" read over 100 pages and just couldn't get into this book. Slow and dragged didn't keep my attention "
" I got this book Free from the Amazon Kindle store, Kathryn's book was very well written with wonderful characterization and imagery. I highly recommend this book. "
" This was quite a frustrating story because most of the adult characters such as the mother are egocentric and manipulative or like the father a weakling. The only decent adult is the stepmother who is too good for that wuss husband. "
" I loved this book! It was tradgic, yet amazing... "
" A touching book that looks at the true meaning of a family and all that comes with it, the good and the bad. "
" I REALLY enjoyed this book: Story of a grown woman recalling her childhood and the drama that ensued with an alcoholic mother. I found it a fascinatingly delightful read. "
" This book was Awesome! I was my kind of book and I loved it!!!!! "
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