Saying grace

the long version

Rue Shaw is a woman who has everything - a much-loved child, a solid marriage, and a job she loves. Saying Grace takes place in Rue's midlife, when her daughter is leaving home, her parents are failing, her husband is restless, and the school she has built is being buffeted by changes in society that affect everyone. Funny, moving, rich in detail, and finally stunning, this novel presents a portrait of a community in jeopardy, and of a charming, intelligent woman whose most human failing is that she wants things to stay the same. Saying Grace is about the fragility of happiness and the strength of convictions, about keeping faith as a couple whether it keeps one safe or not, and about the sudden stripping of gears in the complicated professional and personal life of a woman of character.