Synopsis
A woman facing middle age confronts disappointments, regrets, and conflicts, but ultimately finds the courage to change her life
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Reviews
In her mid-40s, Rue Shaw, the head of a country day school in a small California town, has much to be thankful for: satisfying and meaningful work; a warm and loving marriage; a talented 19-year-old daughter who has never caused her a moment's worry. Yet in Gutcheon's elegiac fourth novel (after Domestic Pleasures), even a life as well composed and stable as this is vulnerable to unexpected changes. Rue is depicted as a warm, wise woman able to navigate school politics and to accept bravely the changes for her family when her daughter leaves home to attend Julliard. But when an unthinkable disaster occurs, even Rue cannot cope. After an absorbing if slow-paced setup, Gutcheon errs in focusing the denouement too closely on Rue, abandoning the points of view of crucial minor characters (such as the secretary who plays an important role in Rue's marriage) who added dimension to the first half of the story. By relying too heavily on the perspective of a character who responds to heartbreak primarily with dignified composure, this quiet novel fails to deliver sufficient emotional impact.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Choosing an offbeat milieu for her roiling soap opera, Gutcheon sets her novel in a posh elementary school. Headmistress Rue Shaw is a paragon, an immensely capable woman with brains and principles. However, she is soon tested on all fronts: her own daughter has announced that she plans to drop out of Juilliard and join a heavy-metal band; one of her longtime, valued teachers has gone on the fritz, and the parents are up in arms; and an aggressive board member is attempting to gain control of the school. But that's not all. Rue's daughter is killed in a hit-and-run accident, Rue loses her job, and her husband runs off with a school employee. Narrative vigor and likable characters can't save this one from sinking under the weight of all that turmoil. Indeed, Gutcheon packs so much misery into each chapter that more than a few plot strands go missing. There's also something slightly creepy about the way child abuse is reduced to a rote plot device. Still, Gutcheon's last novel, Domestic Pleasures (1991), was a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, so expect requests for this one. Joanne Wilkinson
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Saying Grace: A Novel
Stock Image
Saying Grace: A Novel
Seller: Once Upon A Time Books, Siloam Springs, AR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear . This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear . Seller Inventory # mon0001060980
Stock Image
Saying Grace
Published by
HarperCollins Publishers, 1995
ISBN 10: 0060176784
ISBN 13: 9780060176785
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 16217607-75
Stock Image
Saying Grace: A Novel
Seller: HPB-Movies, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_308448232
Stock Image
Saying Grace: A Novel
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0060176784I4N01
Stock Image
Saying Grace: A Novel.
Published by
HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, 1995
ISBN 10: 0060176784
ISBN 13: 9780060176785
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Black Cat Hill Books, Oregon City, OR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. First Edition [1995]; First Printing indicated. Very Near Fine in Very Near Fine DJ: Both book and DJ show only minute indications of use. The Book shows a tiny dot, perhaps of foxing at the bottom edge of the quarter-cloth over boards and another dot at the top edge of the page block (this is not a remainder mark); else flawless; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. The DJ shows only the mildest rubbing; the price is unclipped; mylar-protected. Overall, very close to 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 320 pages. Hardback with DJ. A woman facing middle age confronts disappointments, regrets, and conficts, but ultimately finds the courage to change her life, in a moving novel by the author of Still Missing and Domestic Pleasures. I thought that, "Saying Grace" was an excellent novel and I became so involved in the lives of very well-developed chanracters, I felt like I knew each one of them personally. I also became entangled in the very well-depicted issues within the school and I felt as if I was also involved in the many stories and trials. However, I finished the book feeling distressed and emotionally drained because of the sad, shocking events towards the end. I was so entrapped in the characters lives, that I felt like I knew them personally and as if I could also feel the pain they felt. What a wonderful novel. First Edition [1995]; First Printing indicated. Seller Inventory # 44588
Stock Image
Saying Grace A Novel
Published by
Harpercollins, New York, NY, 1995
ISBN 10: 0060176784
ISBN 13: 9780060176785
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Willis Monie-Books, ABAA, Cooperstown, NY, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Printing. Seller Inventory # 76415
Stock Image
SAYING GRACE
Published by
HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1995
ISBN 10: 0060176784
ISBN 13: 9780060176785
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: BIAbooks, Woodstock, NY, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. Set in the close-knit world of a country day school on California's gold coast, the question of whether a fifth-grader is being abused at home sets off a clash of values and cultures that profoundly shakes the entire community, and especially the life of the woman who has run the school for seventeen years. A crisp, bright book with very minute edgewear to bottom front panel. Keywords: FICTION MARRIAGE FAMILY HEAD-OF-SCHOOLFIFTH-GRADER COUNRTY DAY SCHOOL CALIFORNIA CHILS ABUSE. Seller Inventory # 001569
Stock Image
Saying Grace [SIGNED COPY, FIRST PRINTING]
Published by
HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, 1995
ISBN 10: 0060176784
ISBN 13: 9780060176785
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Signed
Seller: MostlySignedBooks, Kensington, CA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Fine in fine dust jacket. SIGNED and inscribed 'For Brenda-thanks for all you do for PEN and friends XXX' by author on title page. 1st edition, 1st printing, complete number line. As new. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 312 p. Audience: General/trade. By the author of 'Domestic Pleasures' and 'Gossip'. Rare signed. Where possible, all books come with dust jacket in a clear protective plastic sleeve, sealed in a ziplock bag, wrapped in bubble wrap, shipped in a box. Signed by Author(s). Seller Inventory # Alibris.0008483