Hand of Grace by Dianne Greco

When you least expect it, strength is just around the corner

From the Publisher

In the Hands of Grace tells the story of Susan Appleton, a woman who married well, lived the life of plenty, and lost most of it when her husband was killed in a car accident. She managed to walk away from the lap of luxury and her husband's greedy family with some insurance money, a summer house on eastern Long Island and her well paying, highly stressful job as an assistant gem broker in Manhattan's Diamond District. Then, she gets fired. Once again she is forced to cope with a sudden, unwelcome change. 

During the weeks that follow, she constantly worries about her son, her finances and if she will ever find another job. She also faces the long unanswered questions she has avoided since her husband's death about whom he was with at the "business meeting" the night he was killed. She meets up with her neighbor, Grace Burton on the day she is fired and is amazed at how safe she feels around her. With Grace's friendship and clairvoyant gifts, Susan learns the value of simple pleasures.

My Take

Sometimes we think things can’t get any worse…….until they do. You feel like you’ve hit rock bottom and the “pity party” begins. But like any party, there comes a time when you have to move on. That’s what happened to Susan after her husband was killed, she lost her home and then her job. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself so she decided to start connecting with people again, including her son. Susan knew that events of the last several years had taken its toll on her son but because of her schedule, she didn’t know how he was coping. Now was the time to find out.

I’ve found in most Christian novels, there is a “grand-motherly” character---the kind that you want to just want crawl into her hug and have her say it will all get better.  The kind who gives love and comfort along with words of wisdom. In Hands of Grace, that character is Grace, Susan’s next-door neighbor.  Grace sees the good in everyone and even sees a little bit of the future. She is full of insight about her friends and doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind. We would all love to have a Grace in our life to help guide us to being the best we can be.

I really enjoyed Hands of Grace as a “good read”. Yes, the characters had some depth but the book itself was a light read, almost predictable. It seemed as soon as Susan began her journey to know herself and her son, good things happened. There really wasn’t a “bad guy” to stir up controversy or challenge the main characters, but that’s what made it such a light and easy read.  I’d give Hands of Grace a 4 out of 5 stars. 

I received a free copy of In the Hands of Grace from the publisher through Library Thing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Dianne Greco lives in beautiful Port Jefferson on Long Island, NY with her husband, son, dog and two cats. When she isn’t working in her gardens, she works at the lovely Emma S. Clark Memorial Library which gives her countless good reads and the inspiration to write.