Full of Grace
2.5/5
()
Unavailable in your country
Unavailable in your country
About this ebook
Hilton Head is supposed to be heavenly - but for Big Al and Connie Russo, the move from New Jersey to this southern Californian paradise, close to their daughter's home, has been fraught with just a few complications. Especially for their daughter, Grace, who at thirty-two is, horror of horrors, still unmarried. No wonder her family drives her crazy.
Over the years, Grace has become a bit ambivalent about her family's traditions. So the stage is set for a major showdown that just might change Grace's outlook on life, family, and the New South.
Dorothea Benton Frank
New York Times bestseller Dorothea Benton Frank was born and raised on Sullivans Island, South Carolina. Until her passing in 2019, Dorothea and her husband split their time between New Jersey and South Carolina. A contemporary voice of the South, Dorothea Benton Frank was beloved by fans and friends alike since her debut novel Sullivans Island. Readers from coast to coast fell for the quick wit and the signature humor that permeated her many bestselling novels.
Read more from Dorothea Benton Frank
Queen Bee: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Same Beach, Next Year: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All Summer Long: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related to Full of Grace
Related ebooks
Carolina Booty Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Birthday Pie: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cottage at Glass Beach: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Home For Two Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dear Dad Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Favorite Midlife Crisis (Yet) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Always and Forever: An emotional Irish novel of love, family and coming to terms with your past Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Promises, Promises Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Roxy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Beach House Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Villa of Second Chances: Escape to the sunshine with international bestseller Jennifer Bohnet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sandycove Sunset Swimmers: The uplifting, feel-good read from Irish author Sian O'Gorman Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Three Mrs. Parkers Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Time To Put Your Boots On Girl Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Wild Horse Springs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhere the Magic Is Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTime Is a River Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Snowed In: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ocean Blue Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMontana Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Passion and Illusion Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Molly's Story: Brides of Fall River: Fall River Saga, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sound of the Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Words for Lucy: A story of love, loss and the celebration of life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Long Way Home: A Mangrove Island novel, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hidden Years: Discover the captivating new novel from the million-copy bestseller Rachel Hore Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summer at Studland Beach: Escape to the seaside with a heartwarming, uplifting read Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Bannister Girls: An emotional WW1 family saga Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCount the Roses Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
General Fiction For You
The Body Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mythos Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fellowship Of The Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The King James Version of the Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Priory of the Orange Tree Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Outsider: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life of Pi: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nettle & Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unhoneymooners Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Sister's Keeper: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silmarillion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Foster Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beartown: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dante's Divine Comedy: Inferno Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Second Life of Mirielle West: A Haunting Historical Novel Perfect for Book Clubs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Other Black Girl: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The City of Dreaming Books Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Iliad of Homer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Good and Evil Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shantaram: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Recital of the Dark Verses Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Full of Grace
9 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I'm a faithful Catholic. Even work for a Catholic parish. So I don't have anything against religion in a book. But this was so ridiculously heavy-handed the spiritual or religious message took all the fun out of it. I found myself rolling my eyes when the unbelievable Fr. John talked. A lot of misunderstandings about what the Church teaches are addressed and, clarified but I don't know who would read this if they weren't already convinced. The romance wasn't strong enough to overcome the heavy handed apologetics.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A departure from Frank's usual fare, but I enjoyed it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I see a few did not rate the book well, but I have to differ. I rather enjoyed reading about Grace and her crazy family along with her wonderful boyfriend Michael. It makes you see how other families deal with certain issues that come their way and just how open some Catholics are. As a cancer survivor myself I could relate to Michael and Grace and their fears and joys. I am also Lutheran and can relate to some of the Catholic was as well. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good love story, religious, humor and down right crazy folk.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Blech!!! I was looking forward to this one, after previously reading another book by the author. Her “Sullivan's Island” was richly evocative of the area – its setting, people, customs, mood. This one left me cold. The title character lives in Charleston, and we are introduced to a lot of local restaurants and streets, but they never 'become' part of the story; it felt more like a laundry list of names. Grace is in the luxury travel industry and the author fills pages with descriptions of her tourists and their destinations – Sardinia, California wine country, Mexico City. But there was no magic. Well, actually there WAS magic, but not in great writing. It was all religiosity, catholic saints and miracles. The story line was mundane and predictable. I expected more of Frank's genius in the setting department as well. The characters of the immediate family, though, were fully fleshed out and believable, but that's the only thing I cared for in this book.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I liked the way the story was told, and the voice of the main character. Some of the details about the Italian family rang true. But, overall, the storyline was predictable and frustrating.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a departure from Frank's earlier stories. Still based in the South Carolina low country, the story is of a transplanted New Jersey Italian family and especially Grace, the daughter. It's more a story of families, and has its particularly melancholy moments as Grace's lover fights with cancer and the grandmother breaks her hip and fights being in rehab. But it's still a super story and I enjoyed it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book was surprising in many ways. Having read several books by this author, I was sure I would like this one as well. I did, but not the way that I expected.The book starts with a rather mundane accounting of Grace's day-to-day life. She's living with her boyfriend, Michael, who is a research physician. On holidays, she visits her family—but without Michael who isn't welcome at her parent's home. Part of the reason is because he's using stem cells in his research and their Catholic doctrine condemns it. But the primary reason is that he's not Italian; he's Irish, of all things.I was lulled along, getting to know the Russos through Grace's visits with them—the conflicts being played out over a dinner table loaded with holiday goodies. Then, the family has to face two crises. First, Nonna falls and breaks her hip. In considerable pain, she refuses to cooperate with her therapists and demands to go home, expecting Grace's mother to care for her around the clock. Then, Michael is diagnosed with a virulent form of cancer and Grace needs her family's support as never before.My favorite character in this book is Father John. I'd like to meet him in real life. In one scene, discussing en vitro fertilization, he says, "I think that the Church's major area of concern has always been that children are begotten not made. Is it right to make children in a laboratory setting just because we can?" And also, "The trick is not to rationalize your decisions knowing that they displease God."I was only looking for a good story, but along with that, I got some wise spiritual guidance. A good deal in my book.