Saying Grace

by Beth Gutcheon

Book Overview

Rue Shaw has everything--a much loved child, a solid marriage, and a job she loves. Saying Grace takes place in Rue's mid-life, when her daughter is leaving home, her parents are failing, her husband... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060927275
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A Very Good Read About True Life-A+

This book was the first I have read of Beth Gutcheon and I thoroughly enjoyed the story! Rue Shaw, the main character of the story was a wife, mother of a grown daughter, and above all, director of a private school. The school, known as Country School,had its own sets of many problems, and Rue is constantly battling with the head board member, Chandler, about the various politics of running the place. In the school there is a child she suspects of being abused, a troublesome teacher that Rue needs to fire, but is reluctant to, and problem parents always giving her a hard time over everything. There is one boy stirring up lots of trouble, and Rue is at her wits end with that child among everything else. On the homefront, Georgia, her grown daughter is at the Julliard School of music, taking up vocal study. Right in the middle of the year, she hooks up with a boyfriend Jonah, who wants to go on with his own band recording. Jonah is nothing but trouble, and of course,not only can her parents not convince her he his, but they are having marital problems because of it. Rue's husband Henry is having his own set of problems as well. He is a burned out physician who wants to move and change, and yet Rue doesn't want to. The two get into a lot of hard times in between them between that issue, and the issue of Georgia. Not to mention, Rue's mom has had a stroke as well, so she is worried about her aging parents. A great book, and I almost read it straight through. Hard to put it down!

Unbelievably good

As one of the cover blurbs said so well, it was hard to know how to read this book: quickly so as to find out what happens, or slowly to savor the writing. I didn't think I could love a book as much as I loved DOMESTIC PLEASURES, but SAYING GRACE was equally mesmerizing. The background of a private school with all its politics and conflicts made for fascinating reading. How Gutcheon juggled so many story lines without creating a confusing mess, I have no idea. At first, I wasn't sure I'd ever keep all the characters straight, but before long I was pulled into each story and had no problem at all. In fact, I felt as if I were there at The Country School right along with Rue and Emily and Mike and Chandler and Henry and all the others who peopled this story. The book was by turns hilarious, sad, illuminating, joyous, frustrating, and heartbreaking. It was never boring. Once again, Ms. Gutcheon has awed me with her talent. I only wish she would write faster.

The stuff of Life

This is the first piece of fiction I have read in quite awhile, and it has whetted my appetite for more... at least more in the style of Beth Gutcheon. Having sent my children to a private school through eighth grade and volunteered during most of those years as a teacher's aide, I was mesmerized by Gutcheon's complete encompassment of the trials, tribulations, life and humor of it all. The side stories, which continued to introduce many different characters, took some concentration to keep up with at the beginning, but added immensely to the overall balance of the book. As in real life, the totality of the book, with the varied personalities involved, paralleled reality so closely it became uncomfortable at times. But isn't that the sign of a good book... a good story? I thought the decision to include or not include the endings and answers of the many side stories in the end was very true to life. I was immensely pleased with it all.

A Lesson For Today's Parents

I think every person who is contemplating parenthood should read this book, or teach 5th grade for a day. Saying Grace tells the story of an amazing woman while she faces the challenges that life throws her way: her job as the headmaster at a private school, her marriage, her daughter.I loved the authors style. She broke it up into small digestible parts - like a soap opera. And isn't that what life is - a series of wild events? She drew you in - gave you mystery and a sense of righteousness for this crazy world we live in and made you empathize with her characters. I think we can all recognize a little of ourselves in each of the characters.

Best book I've read in a long time

I cannot fathom how anyone could give this book fewer than 5 stars. I was drawn in from the first page. If you've ever worked in a school, you will appreciate this book and its characters even more.