Absence of Grace
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4.3 • 105 Ratings
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Publisher Description
The memory of an act committed when she was nineteen weaves a dark thread through Clen McClendon's life. It is a darkness Clen ignores until the discovery of her husband's infidelity propels her on a quest for redemption and forgiveness of her own. Her journeying is providing few answers and peace remains elusive, even during the time she spends in an abbey. But then Clen makes a decision that is both desperate and random to go to Wrangell, Alaska. There she will meet Gerrum Kirsey and learn that choices are never truly random, and they always have consequences.
Former Seattle attorney, Gerrum Kirsey, is of the opinion that most people who end up in Alaska are running from something,. Including him. And this appears to be true for the aloof woman who has come to Wrangell as the Bear Lodge's summer cook. When Gerrum learns that Clen applied for the job from an abbey, and that the owner of the Lodge remembers her visiting years ago with a husband, he's intrigued and determined to discover the woman behind the walls.
Customer Reviews
Absence of Grace
Great read
Confession Is Good for the Soul
“You’re saying I had to make a whole bunch of bad decisions before I was able to get it right?”
… And so this book goes…. Many, many bad decisions on the part of many characters.
This book easily could be divided into two parts….. one part interesting and the other part confusing, dragging on and on. It’s too bad it’s the second half that draws attention, as I can see many readers wanting to give up before getting there. I almost did and that’s highly unusual for me.
The first half of the book keeps skipping time periods between the 60s and 80s. I couldn’t relate, it was like I was just reading words. Even the cheating part was dull with no emotion. Basically said, Clen caught her husband with another woman, he says it’s her fault, she leaves him. That adds to her insecurities
The main male character shows up about 1/2 way through the book. If there was a transition introducing him, I missed it. He’s engaged and decides he’s leaving his high powered lawyer job and expects his fiancé to tag along. She’s not keen on that idea, they break up. Again, no depth, no emotion.
Both main characters, Gerrum and Clen, go to Alaska. This is where the book gets better. It doesn’t take long for them to meet, become attracted to each other and progress further …. UNTIL. Glen misinterprets something she sees. Once again she runs… she’s known for running away from things rather than tackling them head-on. But the real question is, just what is Clen running from? As they say: Confession Is Good for the Soul.
🤔OBSERVATIONS:
✒︎ This was a very poignant, yet stressful, book to read. It had such good possibilities but needed more depth to allow us to ‘feel’ and ‘experience’ what was happening.
✒︎ I felt like I was being ‘told’ what Clen and Gerrum went through. I’d much rather ‘feel’ like I was there ‘experiencing’ and ‘seeing’ their pain rather than be told about it.
✒︎ Needed better development on Saint and Paul.
…Clen and Saint exchanged letters while he was in Vietnam, why didn’t she know he had found someone else? He just comes home and gets married? No talking, no explanations? Did she ever see him again?
…As for Paul, what can I say? What happened? Where was his comeuppance? His feelings of entitlement to cheat had to have future repercussions and it’s doubtful they ended with Clen, but we get nothing.
Sad but uplifting at the same time
I really enjoyed this book. It was a book I’d never even pick up at a store. That’s based on my personal criteria. I thought it would be all inspirational, religious, etc reading. I love it when I’m wrong. This story is great and can be relatable in some way to most everyone.