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The Mystery of Grace Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,581 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
On the Day of the Dead, at the Solona Music Hall, Altagracia Quintero meets John Burns—just two weeks too late.
Grace, as her friends call her, has a Ford Motor Company tattoo running down her leg and grease worked deep into her hands. She works at Sanchez Motorworks customizing hot rods. Finding the line in a classic car is her calling. Now Grace has to find the line in her own life. Grace loves John, and John loves her, and that would be wonderful, except that John, like Grace, has unfinished business: he’s haunted by the childhood death of his younger brother. He’s never stopped feeling responsible. Before their relationship can find its resolution, the two of them will have to teach each other about life and love, about hot rods and Elvis Presley, and about why it’s necessary to let some things go.
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"Wonderful new book by Charles de Lint. The world Grace finds herself in was visited by Jilly in a past novel. I love how Charles de Lint finds ways to have cameo appearances and revisits past settings. It is a treat for long time readers and his novels stand alone as well for new readers."
— Cindy (4 out of 5 stars)
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“De Lint is a romantic; he believes in the great things, faith, hope, and charity (especially if love is included in that last), but he also believes in the power of magic--or at least the magic of fiction--to open our eyes to a larger world.”
— Edmonton Journal -
“This tale of attachments formed and relinquished is also about belief and hope. De Lint doesn’t endorse any particular religious system, but he writes passionately about the individual’s ability to discover an effective personal magic. The story develops through comforting, warm compassion to reach the inevitable, mostly satisfying solution.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Tai Sammons and Paul Garcia share narration duties for both Grace’s and John’s point of view. Sammons has a warm, rich voice; her Grace is tough, smart, and likable, while her John is tender and reserved. Garcia’s gentle tenor has sharp edges that keep one riveted. Between them, they make this a charming love story.”
— AudioFile -
“De Lint is a master storyteller, and this work is no exception. His sense of place is uncannily magical. He has a knack for writing characters that will break your heart and the bittersweet mood of this book is just perfect. Set in the American Southwest and populated with hot-rodders and a rockabilly sound-track, this is definitely a stand-out in de Lint’s oeuvre.”
— RT Book Reviews (4½ stars, Top Pick!)
The Mystery of Grace Listener Reviews
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" This was an unusual story in that the main character is dead, but I liked how the author wove a story about her and her relationship with the living. I'm not big into cars or vintage car repair, so some parts dragged a bit, but aside from that, it was a fun read. "
— Diane, 2/12/2014 -
" Not what I thought it was going to be, but I loved it! "
— Gina, 2/6/2014 -
" Very interesting take on the afterlife. Great, easy read! "
— Audrey, 2/3/2014 -
" Not sure what to make of this story. I'm going to have to do this review later once I wrap my head around it. "
— Clarice, 1/27/2014 -
" I've always heard of Charles De Lint but never read any of his books (that I can remember) until this one. It's his latest adult novel and luckily a stand-alone. Grace is in an unusual position because she's dead. But she learns that she can cross over twice a year and return home. She does, and finds herself in love with John, and living life like she never did when she was alive. And so Grace and her best dead friend decide to figure out why they are stuck in the afterlife. With a little bit of luck, a lot of faith, and some magic, Grace straightens things out, but not without a lot of philosophy. Honestly, my attention wandered in the last half of the book because I didn't like all the discussions about the afterlife, blah, blah, blah. I want action! "
— Sarah, 1/25/2014 -
" This is, by far, one of my most favorite books, even if the ending is a bit rough on the heart. Beautifully written, well thought out, and full of mysteries. "
— Corrine, 1/23/2014 -
" I actually didn't like this book, but I couldn't stop reading it. It was very compelling & well written but rather depressing. I generally like this author because after reading something of his I feel more hopeful about life. This book did not make me feel hopeful. "
— Willa, 1/20/2014 -
" I love de Lint's writing style. His storylines are intriguing, and his characters are easy to become attached to. Grace was no exception. This book had an interesting take on the afterlife, and I thoroughly enjoy his characters. "
— Jess, 1/18/2014 -
" This had a slow start. A longish intro before I got into the story. I listened to it and found it a bit disconcerning to switch narrator voices. Didn't like it as much as some of this other stories. But still good. "
— Mckinley, 1/11/2014 -
" I have a new favorite author! I know I'm late to the Charles de Lint bandwagon, but at least I've jumped on! I so enjoyed this story of a woman finding her strength and love. I'll read anything this man writes and now I have a delicious 30 some years of his writing to read! "
— Lora, 1/11/2014 -
" Too much pipe. "
— Lyn, 9/29/2013 -
" Oh Charles de Lint....another homerun. "
— Misty, 9/25/2013 -
" Meh. Charles de Lint, I love you, but this book was meh. Felt like the characters were just telling me the story, instead of anything being shown through action or subtle at all. "
— Miranda, 11/11/2012 -
" I really enjoyed this book, and will tell my friends to read. "
— Janet, 10/12/2012 -
" From the very begining this book grabbed my attention and kept it. I don't normally enjoy "Fantacy Fiction" but I'm REALLY glad I gave it a chance... "
— Tamy, 8/23/2012 -
" Read from 3/30 to 4/1. "
— Kristin, 7/18/2012 -
" Not quite as enthralling as most of his books. Part of it was that we hardly got to know Gracie--we were told a lot about her, but not shown much at all. "
— Becca, 4/15/2012 -
" Another great read from Charles de Lint, with all the things you'd expect--influences from various mystical traditions, strong and non-traditional women, lots of music references, and a fascinating premise. "
— Aaron, 3/2/2012 -
" A captivating book on the mystery of death. "
— Jerry, 12/3/2011 -
" Great book. I still think the title was a little cheesy, but that doesn't take away from the quality of the writing. DeLint usually has very dense books that are sometimes a challenge to try and undertake, but The Mystery of Grace was a distinct change. "
— Megan, 11/20/2011 -
" This is hands down by far my favorite book of all time. "
— Chelsie, 7/3/2011 -
" Reading this book made me want to find more by Charles deLint. Very little in our library. "
— Jenny, 4/22/2011 -
" Very slow and thoughtful with little to no action whatsoever. The story was just tedious. There were some interesting ideas here, but the execution was pretty awful. Definitely not something I'd recommend. "
— Brenda, 4/20/2011 -
" It was okay. De Lint takes a trip away from his familiar territory of Celtic myth in Canada to explore ghosts in the American southwest. It was a fine read, but didn't wow me. I think I'm just getting a bit bored with De Lint. "
— Laura, 4/6/2011 -
" From the very begining this book grabbed my attention and kept it. I don't normally enjoy "Fantacy Fiction" but I'm REALLY glad I gave it a chance... "
— Tamy, 4/4/2011 -
" Interesting concept and story! Warning; a little sex. "
— Lee, 1/8/2011
About Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint is the award-winning author of fantasy fiction, including urban fantasy, contemporary magical realism, and mythic fiction. He is best known for his fantasy novels in the Newford series, but he also writes novellas, short stories, poetry, lyrics, literary criticism, and a children’s book. Among his many awards are the Ontario Library Association’s White Pine Award, the Great Lakes Great Books Award, the Canadian SF/Fantasy Award, and the 2000 World Fantasy Award. His evocative novels have earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim as a master of contemporary mythic fiction.
About the Narrators
Richard Powers has published thirteen novels. He is a MacArthur Fellow and received the National Book Award. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Overstory, and Bewilderment was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
Tai Sammons earned her degree in theater from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, where she worked at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. This award-winning actress currently resides upstate in Portland, with her beloved black pug, Oscar.