Saving Grace
by Lee Smith
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 169)
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contemporaryfiction
Read in December, 2007
If you have not yet discovered Lee Smith, you must begin reading her works immediately. Fair and Tender Ladies is still my favorite book by her, but this one comes a close second. On the surface, the novel tells the life story of Florida Grace, a young woman whose father travels across the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia living plainly and preaching snake handling and poison drinking to the hill folk. Beneath that surface is the true story of a woman trying to find some sense of who she ...more
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If I could give this 1.5 stars I would. I loved the way the book began and the Southern setting, but I hated the left turn in the plot and the way the book ended. It is the story of Florida Grace Shepherd who is the daughter of a serpent-handling minister. As Grace comes of age, she realizes that her father is more of a womanizer than a preacher and that he excuses himself by claiming that God forgives him whenever he backslides. His behavior eventually drives Grace's mother to suicide and Grace...more
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southern-lit
Read in January, 2007
Not one of my favorite Lee Smith novels, but it is still good. This one is set pretty much in my backyard, and that's always pretty cool to read about. It's the story of Grace, the daughter of a traveling, snake-handling preacher. It's also the story of the family's fall from grace and Grace's attempt to find redemption after that. I would recommend Fair and Tender Ladies to someone who wants to see what Lee Smith is all about, but this is a decent story for anyone who is already a fan.
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Read in January, 2006
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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This was the first book I've read by Lee Smith, but it will surely not be the last. Haunting, riveting, and exact prose coupled with a strong narrative voice, interesting plot elements (yes, these do include the handling of poisonous snakes as a sign of favor from the Almighty), and well-drawn characters make Saving Grace a worth while read.
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Read in June, 2007
This is not my general fair but was a treat none the less. Florida Grace Shepard looks back over her life without prejudice and tells the tale of growing up the daughter of a serpent handling preacher in North Carolina in the 60's. It's really beautifully told and would not let me go until I got to the end.
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Read in January, 1997
I read this book 10 or 12 years ago, and fell in love with it. This probably isn't for everybody - Grace's parents are snake handling, strychnine drinking fundamentalists and street preachers (and charlatans?), but the characters were so vivid and the writing so good that I'd recommend giving it a try.
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Beautifully realized story of growing up desperately poor in the hardscrabble world of the stereotypical Southern evangelical preacher's family. This book is hard to read, but positively enchanting in it's ability to draw the reader into the hearts and minds of it's characters.
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Read in January, 2004
Read this in college. Had never read anything like it before at the time. About a woman growing up in snake-handling territory in the Appalachian mountains and it follows her through adulthood. I was surprised that i liked it, but i did.
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Read in January, 2005
I loved this book. Interesting characters in interesting situations. What could be more fun to read about than a bunch of nuts in a snake handling church. I like Lee Smith's style of writing. Great imagery.
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Read in March, 2008
If you are unable to tolerate reading about snakes skip this book. This is the story of the daughter of a man possessed with God and the "old time religion". Tragic and fascinating.
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Read in October, 2007
The author's style is pretty engaging, and so I kept wanting to read to find out what would happen. It was kind of weird, though, and I'm not sold on this author.
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This was the first book by Lee Smith I have ever read and immediately become hooked. She has such an amazing style of writing that caputres your heart.
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I don't remember this book well enough to rate it, but it got me into Lee Smith, now one of my favorite authors, so it must be good.
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Read in January, 1996
recommends it for:
Appalachian lit. readers; fiction readers
Excellent Appalachian fiction.
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read-in-2000-2006
Read in January, 2005
Gift from Jason.
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