About Grace

A Novel

By: Anthony Doerr

Narrated by: George Newbern

The first novel by Anthony Doerr, the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning author of Cloud Cuckoo Land, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning #1 New York Times bestseller All the Light We Cannot See, one of the most beautiful, wise, and compelling debuts of recent times.

David Winkler begins life in Anchorage, Alaska, a quiet boy drawn to the volatility of weather and obsessed with snow. Sometimes he sees things before they happen—a man carrying a hatbox will be hit by a bus; Winkler will fall in love with a woman in a supermarket. When David dreams that his infant daughter will drown in a flood as he tries to save her, he comes undone. He travels thousands of miles, fleeing family, home, and the future itself, to deny the dream.

On a Caribbean island, destitute, alone, and unsure if his child has survived or his wife can forgive him, David is sheltered by a couple with a daughter of their own. Ultimately it is she who will pull him back into the world, to search for the people he left behind.

Doerr's characters are full of grief and longing, but also replete with grace. His compassion for human frailty is extraordinarily moving. In luminous prose, he writes about the power and beauty of nature and about the tiny miracles that transform our lives. About Grace is heartbreaking, radiant, and astonishingly accomplished.

Even better than “All the Light…”

I actually enjoyed this more than “All the Light”. The protagonist frustrated me in the same way that I frustrate myself when I find myself too tired or bored to communicate effectively with people I love. And as an Alaskan, the setting, of course, resonated.

High expectations

I adored All the Light you Cannot See, so perhaps my disappointment was more so in comparison. Intriguing story line, but fell flat here. It was hard to like the main character. I thought he was self absorbed and I wanted him to show more appreciation for the many kindnesses he received throughout the story. I just couldn’t root for him. None of the other characters picked up the slack. I’ll still try to read this author, but with no high expectations.

one of my top 5 novels - moving

Although the premise is fantastic, the characters are fully human - a beautiful story that explores the nature of time, love, and family.

Slow start, but the rest of the story was amazing

The memory of the excellence of Beneath A Scarlet Sky kept me going through the first 50 pages.
I am not disappointed I trusted in the authors need to set the stage.

Beautiful book

if you appreciate beautiful writing and a gentle story that carries you along, you will love this book. It is not an exciting suspenseful page turner; rather it is a slow journey, masterfully written.