Falling From Grace
by Mel Foster
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date 17 Sep 2024 | Archive Date 10 Sep 2024
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Description
Set in the heat of Arizona's landscape in the mid-90s, Falling from Grace follows the fictional story of a pregnant eighteen-year-old hoping that she can save herself and her unborn child from the emotional and physical abuse of her father.
Nestled within the confines of a weather-beaten trailer park, Grace Callaway's life unfolds amidst a tapestry of Arizona heat, dusty roads, and the hum of a community where everyone is grappling with their own set of challenges. In the shadow of the Catalina Mountains, where dreams seem distant and aspirations often fade, Grace hopes for a better life for her child than she had growing up.
Between the mother who abandoned her and the father who resents her for it, Grace has never had it easy in life. Her only hope is to leave behind the life she has known and create something more for herself. Whilst navigating the complexities of her fractured family, Grace finds unexpected solace in her new neighbor, Peter. Peter becomes the needed support in her journey toward leaving her current life behind.
Will Grace's strength be enough to sever the ties to her abusive past and create a new legacy for her child? Falling from Grace is a powerful exploration of resilience, redemption, and the enduring spirit that can arise from the darkest corners of life.
Publisher's Note: This digital ARC is an advance edition of the manuscript and not the final version of the book set for release.
Available Editions
EDITION | Paperback |
ISBN | 9781954676961 |
PRICE | US$19.95 (USD) |
PAGES | 250 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
This book screams feminism! It’s a touching story about what a woman would do to pull herself together in the darkest times of her life. I found this story empowering, heart breaking, and justified. It broke me and put me back together again, over and over. Kuddos to the author for knowing how to make the story come to life.
She was born on the wrong side of the tracks and she’ll still there. Grace is a pregnant 18 year old living in poverty in a small trailer park in the desert in Arizona with only her abusive alcoholic father. Her mother walked out on them when
Grace was nine. Her mother was pregnant teenager when she marries her father and Grace seems to be following in her footsteps.
The story held my internet but much of it was unbelievable, especially an event that happened in the last few chapters. I see the value this book might offer to young adults/girls who are stuck in similar situations. And hope that an empathy might be fostered from readers who have more fortunate circumstances.
One critique I have is that this book is told totally in the first person, narrated by Grace. She uses bigger, loftier words in her thought than when she opens her mouth to speak. She talks that rough, quit school, not too well-educated language that is common to her station. Nonetheless, I’d be interested to read this young new author again to see how her writing develops over time.
I appreciate the opportunity Netgalley has given me to express my honest opinion.
A truly interesting subject but told incredibly badly. It’s just poorly written. I almost feel bad writing this review but I had to force myself to get through this book. It almost seems like the author looks down on her own characters and their circumstances. It reeks of someone who is writing about people she feels are beneath her.
I almost gave up on reading this because of the words all running together. I thought at first it was a stylistic choice of the author and then realized it must be because it is not a finished ready for production book.
I am glad I stuck with it. When the spacing was correct the book flowed. The writing style was engaging to me and I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Mel Foster.
The story is one of triumph and finding chosen family. Standing up for yourself and allowing yourself to love. This book presented characters that were complex and relatable.
Are you looking for your next fiction book? Falling From Grace was a great book set in the Arizona heat.
This is an ode to being a woman, I just loved this book.. But is not a book for everyone the story is intense, born from an abusive father she gets pregnant at 18 and follows the same path as her mom.. Some parts are dark but it's a great fiction book with some important lessons to be learned which can open some woman and girls who find in the same situation as Grace
I finished this book several days ago, but I preferred to wait a bit before writing this review. The fact is, the book is... complex. I found the plot very promising: a young university student, pregnant, with an abusive father and the hope of a better future. You can imagine I was very curious to see what the author would pull out of her hat to tell the evolution of these characters. However, as I read, I realized that the direction wasn’t what I had hoped for. A plot like this needs lively characters, appreciated by the author, capable of moving within the setting she created.
In this case, though, it becomes clear after the introductory chapters that the author doesn’t seem to love her characters, or at the very least, she constantly sees them through a harshly critical lens. There’s no love in her descriptions, nor even a hint of care for these protagonists who should be the heart of the story. It’s frustrating to see how a potentially captivating narrative, one that could have truly moved readers, turns into a caricature of itself. I would have preferred more substance, more attention to the protagonists, more love in the descriptions and storytelling. I would have preferred a story that grabbed the reader, played with their emotions, held their attention, and made it impossible to tell the story without care. I probably would have preferred a story that came from the heart rather than a narrative that at times felt bland.
One point I really did appreciate was the choice of language. I believe the author still has room for growth in this area, but she’s on the right track to understanding how to improve.
This book tells the story about a young pregnant girl, with a very disfunctional family and background trying to survive in a world of neglect and psicological abuse. It aproaches her way of thinking and her way to cope, and how it evolves with a new support system.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mel Foster and Indigo River Publishing for an ARC of this novel. Unfortunately, this book was just “meh” for me. I was able to read it and remain attentive; however, there was no excitement whatsoever.
This story got mixed reviews, but I thought it was beautifully written, it is about finding the beauty in the ugly. I feel like it could be relatable, the author had me championing for the main character. I thought she was a fighter as the author did a great job writing story so heartbreaking you could not help but be fully invested. I loved all the characters in the book, how the main character looked for the helpers, and how she was determined to break the cycle of her past.
Thank you to NetGalley and Indigo River Publishing for a copy of this story for my honest review.