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The Mystery of Grace
- Narrated by: Richard Powers, Tai Sammons
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
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The Mystery of Grace
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Summary
On the Day of the Dead, at the Solona Music Hall, Altagracia Quintero meets John Burns - just two weeks too late.
Grace, as her friends call her, has a Ford Motor Company tattoo running down her leg and grease worked deep into her hands. She works at Sanchez Motorworks customizing hot rods. Finding the line in a classic car is her calling. Now Grace has to find the line in her own life. Grace loves John, and John loves her, and that would be wonderful, except that John, like Grace, has unfinished business: He's haunted by the childhood death of his younger brother. He's never stopped feeling responsible. Before their relationship can find its resolution, the two of them will have to teach each other about life and love, about hot rods and Elvis Presley, and about why it's necessary to let some things go.
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Critic reviews
Charles de Lint, multiple winner of the Yalsa Best Book for Young Adult Award, "believes in the power of magic - or at least the magic of fiction - to open our eyes to a larger world." (Edmonton Journal)
"Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend - all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better." (Alice Hoffman)
"The story develops through comforting, warm compassion to reach the inevitable, mostly satisfying solution." (Publishers Weekly)
What listeners say about The Mystery of Grace
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Deborah
- 08-08-11
Thought provoking and considered...
First things first - this is brilliantly read, especially by Tai Sammons, who, to be fair, reads the lion's share, but her accents, and her voicing of the various characters is great. Don't get me wrong, the male narrator does an ok job, but he's reading a lot of women, and doesn't do so well.
This starts with alternate chapters, which are quite long from a listening perspective, read by either Grace or John, ending with all Grace, and underneath the love story, underneath the mystery of Grace, and Conchita, and Henry, and all the others, lies a moral tale about coping with grief and loss, about learning who we are, about moving on, and on the importance of friends.
I spent the first third or so wondering how de Lint was going to resolve the love story, reckoning I had it sussed. I was wrong, oh so very wrong, and I spent the final third wondering how this could end, and again, thought I saw how things might go, and was again wrong!
This builds both a credible love affair, and a very credible friendship, despite the whole thing hinging on the fairly incredible premise that Grace is dead, and yet able to meet, engage with and fall for John - who falls equally hard for Grace.
I loved the ending, loved the resolution of some issues and the fact that other issues didn't need resolution by that stage...
Why not 5 stars? Well, there are some longish internal monologues that I found I wanted over - if I'd been reading I'd have skipped a few pages!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- colin
- 21-01-13
highly recommended
I urge you to read this book and anything else by Charles de Lint who is a uniquely talented writer. Urban myth, legends, folklore, supernatural and pure magic combine with the contemporary landscape and the day to day world seamlessly, believably and sometimes disturbingly. we are awakened and alerted to the mystical as de Lint weaves his spell.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Paul D
- 19-02-14
Original tale
Where does The Mystery of Grace rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Well on par. No criticism - an original and interesting tale well crafted.
What did you like best about this story?
The concept of the story and characterization
Which scene did you most enjoy?
No preference, I do prefer to see/listen to books as a whole.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Not my job. I just read them.
Any additional comments?
It is many years since I have read De Lint and I was not disappointed by this listen. Too often revisting an old favourite is disappointing, it is amazing how niaive and simple some old modern aurthors can apeear now. Not this one and I will keep a watch for further books by the aurthor. The characters were well constructed and it was easy to become involved in their lives no matter how strange.
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