Finding Grace: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

Charles Booker is thrilled to start married life in Two Harbors, Minnesota, with his ambitious ornithologist bride, Carolinebut he sabotages his own happiness when, blinded by his desire for a family, he tricks Caroline into a pregnancy she doesnt want.

Caroline, bold and unapologetic, follows her own nature and holds Charles to his promise to parent their daughter without her helpan arrangement that allows her to travel the world and follow her birds, wherever they may take her. This uneasy truce results in near tragedy for their daughter, Grace, who comes of age in a household full of toxic resentment on the one side and suffocating love on the other, and increasingly struggles with her mental health as she grows older.

Told by all three of the characters involved and set against the backdrop of Lake Superior, Finding Grace is a piercing chronicle of the struggles and eventual insight gained by each over the years, starting with Charles and Carolines courtship and continuing into Graces early adulthoodand a poignant coming-of-age journey for both Grace and her parents.

Reviews

2022 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Womens Fiction

Over the course of this often heartbreaking novel, Cooper delves into a number of disturbing themes, such as mental illness, guilt, and personal ambition. Her characterizations of the three major characters are raw and realistic, and her story ably navigates the complexities of a dysfunctional family. . . . An effective exploration of one familys complicated troubles.
Kirkus Reviews

In Maren Coopers character-driven novelFinding Grace, a family secret leads to ruptures and reconciliations.
ForewordClarion Reviews

Emotionally charged and written exceptionally well, author Maren Cooper created a perfect atmosphere and a solid plot. . . . I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves emotionally charged stories with substance!
Readers Favorite, 5-star review

Finding Grace is a novel that anyone who has raised a child can embracethe chronicle of a parents search for what hes afraid might be lost forever. Its a gut-wrenching tale yet told with immense compassion and a true voice. Although it doles out its share of anguish, it is, in the end, a stunning portrait of courage. Maren Cooper offers readers a story for our time, with all its complexities and challenges, a journey that never waivers from the path toward hope and redemption.
William Kent Krueger, New York Times best-selling author of This Tender Land

Finding Grace is a riveting dive into the heartache and terror that parents experience dealing with a child who lapses into mental illness during adolescence. It's a keen portrayal of the ways in which childhood trauma shapes lives. An added attraction is Maren Coopers wonderfully evocative descriptions of Lake Superior in all its moods and seasons.
Ames Sheldon, author of Eleanors Wars, Dont Put the Boats Away, and Lemons in the Garden of Love

Finding Grace is a heartrending story of a father's unconditional love for his daughter, the strength of that bond over time and distance, and the fortitude of a community to band together in difficult times. Maren Cooper skillfully leads her readers through a labyrinth of love, hope, commitment, and the complexity of relationships. This is an emotional must-read that will make you feel sad, happy, grateful, and hopeful.
Allen Eskens, author of The Life We Bury

Finding Grace will ring true for any parent who has shepherded a child through the perils of mental illness. Filled with flawed but genuine characters, Cooper's tale delves into the complex mix of devotion, despair, fear, and hope inherent in unconditional love. A book that will linger in your heart long after you turn the final page.
Susan Ritz, author of A Dream to Die For

Cold mothers and troubled children. A fathers desperate wish for vital and lasting connections. The peculiar, senseless decision-making of teens who are hurting. Second chances at love. The essence of community. These are the themes in Maren Coopers Finding Grace. Set on the shores of Minnesotas Lake Superior country, the novels beautiful descriptions of the harsh beauty in the outside world perfectly frame the complex inner worlds of the central characters. This is a poignant story of enduring love's victory over disappointment and trauma.
Barbara Stark-Nemon, author of Even in Darkness and Hard Cider

When you start to readFinding Grace,be prepared for a gripping and heart wrenching story about a daughter raised by a narcissistic mother and enabling father. Maren Cooper pulls together the psychological dynamics that hit the nail on the head, page by page, and reveals the intense trauma and effects of narcissistic parenting. I couldnt stop turning those pages. Intense and brilliant!
Karyl McBride, PhD, psychotherapist and author ofWill I Ever Be Good EnoughandWill I Ever Be Free of You

Finding Graceis utterly absorbing, heart-wrenching, and beautifula tribute to a father's love and a daughter's journey. Grace is lost and then found, with every twist in her story bringing new heartbreak and hope. The characters are fully-fledged and relatable; the emotions deep and true. I loved this book! Great for fans of Jodi Picoult and Emily Giffin.
Jane Elizabeth Hughes, author ofA Spy's WifeandThe Long-Lost Jules

Author Bio

Maren Cooper grew up in the Midwest and now resides in St. Paul, Minnesota. She currently serves as a volunteer for various nonprofits and retreats frequently to the shore of Lake Superior, where she loves to hike and watch the deer devour her hosta. Her debut novel, A Better Next, was published in May of 2019 by She Writes Press. Visit her at www.marencooper.com.