The Grace That Keeps This World: A Novel

I didn't like it. Eric didn't like it. Phooey on those who chose this for the community.

Maybe I'm a little biased after meeting Dr. Bailey in person, but this is one hell of a book. You really gain a new respect for the kind of lifestyle portrayed here.

my book club's choice to discuss November 4th. I was REALLY disappointed in this book. I think the idea for the story was a good one - and there were a few lines that I took with me - but overall, I thought the author took a good story idea and chose to write about the most uninteresting things surrounding it. You learn from the opening chapter there has been a horrible hunting...more

my book club's choice to discuss November 4th. I was REALLY disappointed in this book. I think the idea for the story was a good one - and there were a few lines that I took with me - but overall, I thought the author took a good story idea and chose to write about the most uninteresting things surrounding it. You learn from the opening chapter there has been a horrible hunting accident that has resulted in one of the family member's death. The following story unfolds how it happened and develops the main character as pretty unlikable, with hints that he's complicated (that aren't unpacked in a way that you can empathize with him). I think it would've been interesting to unfold the process of dealing with what events happen, finally, in the last chapter, but instead the book ends tragically and then with a very unrealistic too tidy epilogue. The last chapter had promise for leading the characters to growth and depth. Instead, Bailey wrapped things up just when they got interesting and so unrealistically in my experience as someone who with grieving people often; it was just NOT AT ALL real life, congruous with the characters thus far, or seeing the reader through the journey he started us on. My book club discusses tonight, and the preliminary reaction I've received from members is that they're angry at the depressing then too tidy ending.   hide

Reading this as part of our local library's "One Book, One Community" 2008 book selection...

Some parts were intriguing; others boring. I read it as part of the "One Book One Community" initiative and was very disappointed.

this is one of my favorite books - it has everything i need and can be read in under 4 hours