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Angel's Grace
While visiting her grandmother in Trinidad, thirteen-year-old Grace sees a photograph of a stranger with a birthmark identical to hers, and begins to wonder if the reason she feels different from the rest of her family is that he is her real father.
- GenresFiction
165 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2005
2 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Tracey Baptiste
49 books546 followersFrom Thompson-Gale: "Something About the Author"
I have always loved books. My favorite, was an oversized complete Grimm's Fairy Tales with beautiful illustrations, which I lost when my family moved to the United States. I was fascinated by the stories of the tailor who went up against a giant, and clever Hans, who wasn't so clever as well as the more traditional princess stories. When I was about thirteen, after spending a summer in the library reading Paul Zindel and Judy Blume among other authors, I announced to my best friend that I was going to be a writer. I didn't decide what I wanted to write until I read "The Friends" by Rosa Guy. I had recently moved to Brooklyn, NY, and the book spoke to my situation precisely. It remains one of my favorite books. I started writing for children then, and never stopped. I had early interest from publishers from the moment I began submitting stories at the age of 21, but I didn't put in the work necessary to become published until my late twenties. "Angel's Grace" was largely written while I was on maternity leave with my first child. It was inspired by my mother (the redhead) and my husband. Because I have very young children, I work when they sleep, which, sadly, is very little.
I have always loved books. My favorite, was an oversized complete Grimm's Fairy Tales with beautiful illustrations, which I lost when my family moved to the United States. I was fascinated by the stories of the tailor who went up against a giant, and clever Hans, who wasn't so clever as well as the more traditional princess stories. When I was about thirteen, after spending a summer in the library reading Paul Zindel and Judy Blume among other authors, I announced to my best friend that I was going to be a writer. I didn't decide what I wanted to write until I read "The Friends" by Rosa Guy. I had recently moved to Brooklyn, NY, and the book spoke to my situation precisely. It remains one of my favorite books. I started writing for children then, and never stopped. I had early interest from publishers from the moment I began submitting stories at the age of 21, but I didn't put in the work necessary to become published until my late twenties. "Angel's Grace" was largely written while I was on maternity leave with my first child. It was inspired by my mother (the redhead) and my husband. Because I have very young children, I work when they sleep, which, sadly, is very little.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 3, 2014
Fourteen-year-old Grace has a birthmark that looks like a small hand, just over her heart, which her mom told her an angel gave her when she was in an incubator after birth. But when she and her younger sister Sally are sent to Trinidad for the summer, to spend time with their maternal grandmother and other relatives, Grace sees a photo of her mother, father, and other friends from back before her parents were married, and among the friends is a man who seems to have the same birthmark. Grace looks a lot like her mother, but nothing like her father. Is it because really her father isn't her father? Grace is determined to find out who he is and what the truth is.
I loved the book for the way it wove a sense of place (all sorts of small, concrete details about daily life in Trinidad) with a sense of personal history. Grace is the center of the story, but the adults around her are very real and very individual, and it was a pleasure to be in their presence and to hear and see how they interacted with Grace: Her competent, astute grandmother, her gossipy and playful aunt, and the various men and women, friends and acquaintances of her mother, that she meets in her pursuit of the truth about the man who shares her birthmark. There's also Raj, a local boy who befriends her (in spite of her initial standoffishness), and of course her sister Sally, whom Grace sees as insufferable, but whose outgoingness and boisterous self-centeredness provide a good cover for Grace in her quest.
Grace herself is a bundle of complicated feelings. I empathized with her veering emotions and her sense of being an outsider, and I could understand her loneliness for her friends back in Brooklyn, though I was a tinge frustrated with her negativity about being on Trinidad at first, seeing as she was my window onto daily life there, and I wanted her to be more curious, more interested. But I think lots of kids in her position feel exactly the same way: sure, this place seems like a Caribbean paradise to you, but I just miss my friends!
I was also bit sad about her relationship with her sister. Sibling relationships are never 100 percent smooth sailing, and I understood why she felt the way she did about Sally, but I saw a lot of good in Sally and wished I had a stronger sense of Grace seeing that, too. Still, there were a couple of times when Grace did really try, and those were sweet.
I think it was the conversations that I liked best: Grace with her grandmother, with Raj, with her mother's friends, and with her mother and father. With the folks on Trinidad, these conversations captured the beautiful rhythms and idioms of Trinidad English, which I loved, and with her mother and father the conversations were very touching.
Tracey Baptiste has other books out there, and one on the way--looking forward to trying those out.
I loved the book for the way it wove a sense of place (all sorts of small, concrete details about daily life in Trinidad) with a sense of personal history. Grace is the center of the story, but the adults around her are very real and very individual, and it was a pleasure to be in their presence and to hear and see how they interacted with Grace: Her competent, astute grandmother, her gossipy and playful aunt, and the various men and women, friends and acquaintances of her mother, that she meets in her pursuit of the truth about the man who shares her birthmark. There's also Raj, a local boy who befriends her (in spite of her initial standoffishness), and of course her sister Sally, whom Grace sees as insufferable, but whose outgoingness and boisterous self-centeredness provide a good cover for Grace in her quest.
Grace herself is a bundle of complicated feelings. I empathized with her veering emotions and her sense of being an outsider, and I could understand her loneliness for her friends back in Brooklyn, though I was a tinge frustrated with her negativity about being on Trinidad at first, seeing as she was my window onto daily life there, and I wanted her to be more curious, more interested. But I think lots of kids in her position feel exactly the same way: sure, this place seems like a Caribbean paradise to you, but I just miss my friends!
I was also bit sad about her relationship with her sister. Sibling relationships are never 100 percent smooth sailing, and I understood why she felt the way she did about Sally, but I saw a lot of good in Sally and wished I had a stronger sense of Grace seeing that, too. Still, there were a couple of times when Grace did really try, and those were sweet.
I think it was the conversations that I liked best: Grace with her grandmother, with Raj, with her mother's friends, and with her mother and father. With the folks on Trinidad, these conversations captured the beautiful rhythms and idioms of Trinidad English, which I loved, and with her mother and father the conversations were very touching.
Tracey Baptiste has other books out there, and one on the way--looking forward to trying those out.
July 10, 2011
I really enjoyed this story. This was a poignant tale about a young girl, Grace, who always knew she was different from the rest of her family, but simply couldn't put her finger on why. Her summer trip to her parents' native Trinidad and an old photograph of their friends began to finally spell it out for her. Watching the compelling story unfold around her young eyes was capitivating. It was a wonderful page turner. The tenderness and sensitive nature of the relationship between Grace and her parents is beautifully explored through dialogue and body language. I also really enjoyed learning more about the country from the native words of places and food that Baptiste, a former elementary school teacher, shared throughout her work.
June 26, 2010
I liked it...a lot! It was interesting: who wouldn't want to read a book about a girl trying to find her real father. But ha ha, it seems like a book that the 9 year old louisa wouldn't like...but ten year old louisa is definently pleased.
But I just took off one of the stars because reading about girls finding their real parents is soo Cliche
But I just took off one of the stars because reading about girls finding their real parents is soo Cliche
August 10, 2009
Ok so I read this book about two to three years ago. It just popped in my mind to add it and I couldn't find the name of it for anything. BUT I FOUND IT!!!!!!!!! After a two week long search :D This book is reallllly interesting. I loved it and I recommend it.
August 12, 2011
Alright so the premise of this book is a cliche so I shouldn't complain....but I'm going to go ahead. The story crawls along at a snail's pace which is especially unsatisfactory when the book is so short and about a cliche topic. When there are 165 pages of large print the story cannot afford to move s-l-o-w-l-y unless it spends pages and pages describing the new (well new-to-readers) location. This book does not do that which was really disappointing because I've never gone to Trinidad and I'm not so sure if I ever will. The author only talks about the sunsets, beaches and makes a few mentions of the market. But there are very few details aside from the above and I would have at least liked to get more detail on the markets. Even better if the details were presented in an interesting manner or described in lush terms. And I was also annoyed at how long it took the main character to reach the conclusion that she was not living with her biological father. To make matters worse she describes her biological father in less-than-endearing terms (nothing too serious but he didn't seem like the gentlest father either)
As much as the plot was a cliche, I did like reading about how Grace went about searching for her father. Trying to find the man in the photo wasn't the most original concept but the backstory was intriguing. The author used one of my favorite techniques by sprinkling words in Creole English and not explaining what all of them meant. The story has an emotional appeal to it, one that didn't affect me but could affect other readers (in a good way). I think the book would have been stronger if it continued into the next summer. The character of Raj was interesting enough but the author barely scratched the surface of his potential.
Angel's Grace had no effect on me which was disappointing, in fact I would probably say it bored me. I didn't fall in love with the setting of Trinidad (which is both good and bad. Good because I was starting to worry that if an author set the book in a 'foreign'-to-me country I would automatically adore it but that is clearly not the case. Bad because I want to love Trinidad through books since I can't travel to see it!). The other cliche in addition to finding a biological parent was instantly befriending a local boy. Their friendship was odd especially because the author left out some of their conversations so I was left wondering how her new friend (Raj) knew certain things that had just happened. Grace was a much better sister than I because Sally drove me insane! All in all this book fell flat for me and wasn't particularly 'quirky' except for the location.
As much as the plot was a cliche, I did like reading about how Grace went about searching for her father. Trying to find the man in the photo wasn't the most original concept but the backstory was intriguing. The author used one of my favorite techniques by sprinkling words in Creole English and not explaining what all of them meant. The story has an emotional appeal to it, one that didn't affect me but could affect other readers (in a good way). I think the book would have been stronger if it continued into the next summer. The character of Raj was interesting enough but the author barely scratched the surface of his potential.
Angel's Grace had no effect on me which was disappointing, in fact I would probably say it bored me. I didn't fall in love with the setting of Trinidad (which is both good and bad. Good because I was starting to worry that if an author set the book in a 'foreign'-to-me country I would automatically adore it but that is clearly not the case. Bad because I want to love Trinidad through books since I can't travel to see it!). The other cliche in addition to finding a biological parent was instantly befriending a local boy. Their friendship was odd especially because the author left out some of their conversations so I was left wondering how her new friend (Raj) knew certain things that had just happened. Grace was a much better sister than I because Sally drove me insane! All in all this book fell flat for me and wasn't particularly 'quirky' except for the location.
February 20, 2014
Thirteen-year-old Grace and her sister Sally are spending eight very long weeks with Ma, their grandmother, in Trinidad. Grace misses her friends back in Brooklyn and wishes she could tell them about Raj, the neighbor boy who makes her uncomfortable in a strange new way.
One bright spot is Grace's Aunty Jackie, who is full of fascinating family stories. One evening, Jackie shows Grace old family photos. Grace sees one that puzzles her: Next to Grace's young mother stands a man with a birthmark identical to Grace's own --- a small light hand above the heart. Grace can't tell from the photo, but she wonders if he might also have the thick red hair that only she has. When asked about the man, Jackie and Ma claim not to know who he is.
Grace's mother has always explained her birthmark by saying an angel touched Grace there when she was a tiny baby. Grace remembers how angry her father got over the angel story. Suddenly she wonders: could the stranger in the picture somehow actually be her real father? It might explain why Grace has always felt so very apart from the rest of her family. But how could that be? She realizes that she must discover more about the stranger --- and possibly uncover the truth about herself.
Grace confides her secret suspicions to Raj, who proves to be sympathetic and helpful. He suggests Grace and Sally invite their parents' old friends to the party they're planning when their parents come for them. Grace is struck by the brilliance of Raj's idea, which would give her an excuse to track down the people in the old photos, including the mysterious man with the angel tattoo.
The search is on, but Grace can't help wondering why this man, if he is indeed her father, has never searched for her. Besides, surely if Grace's suspicions are true, her mother would have told her. And what about the man she knows as "Dad"? Wouldn't he be devastated to discover she's not his real daughter?
Tracey Baptiste gives this compelling family mystery a warm and gently satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended!
One bright spot is Grace's Aunty Jackie, who is full of fascinating family stories. One evening, Jackie shows Grace old family photos. Grace sees one that puzzles her: Next to Grace's young mother stands a man with a birthmark identical to Grace's own --- a small light hand above the heart. Grace can't tell from the photo, but she wonders if he might also have the thick red hair that only she has. When asked about the man, Jackie and Ma claim not to know who he is.
Grace's mother has always explained her birthmark by saying an angel touched Grace there when she was a tiny baby. Grace remembers how angry her father got over the angel story. Suddenly she wonders: could the stranger in the picture somehow actually be her real father? It might explain why Grace has always felt so very apart from the rest of her family. But how could that be? She realizes that she must discover more about the stranger --- and possibly uncover the truth about herself.
Grace confides her secret suspicions to Raj, who proves to be sympathetic and helpful. He suggests Grace and Sally invite their parents' old friends to the party they're planning when their parents come for them. Grace is struck by the brilliance of Raj's idea, which would give her an excuse to track down the people in the old photos, including the mysterious man with the angel tattoo.
The search is on, but Grace can't help wondering why this man, if he is indeed her father, has never searched for her. Besides, surely if Grace's suspicions are true, her mother would have told her. And what about the man she knows as "Dad"? Wouldn't he be devastated to discover she's not his real daughter?
Tracey Baptiste gives this compelling family mystery a warm and gently satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended!
July 9, 2022
It was okay
February 13, 2014
In the book, Angel's Grace by Tracey Baptist, a girl named Grace has to spend the summer with her grandma and sister in Trinidad, where her mom grew up. She doesn't want to leave the city and all her friends to go stay on an island but she ends up liking it there, and spends most of the time with her grandma's neighbors, kids her age. Grace was born with a birthmark over her heart and her mother always told her a story about an angel giving her the birthmark. When she was younger and would tell her sister the story or talk about it, her father would get so upset, and she never understood why. Also, she has bright red curly hair and freckles, not looking anything like her father. She gets suspitious when she discovers a picture of her mom as a teenager, with friends, one being a guy with the same birthmark, and curly hair just like hers. She is convinced she found her biological father and spends the summer on a mission to find him. Eventually, after all her efforts she finds what she was looking for.
Overall, I liked this book, and found it pretty interesting. I would rate it a 3 out of 5. I wouldn't usually read a book like this but Im glad I did. I would reccomend this book to people, because It's a great story and seems to keep you wondering what's going to happen next. Also, the outcome of the overall story is very unexpected and reading this allows me to plot in My head what I think will happen. It was also very descriptive and I was able to create images in My head. I liked this book but it wasn't My favorite.
Overall, I liked this book, and found it pretty interesting. I would rate it a 3 out of 5. I wouldn't usually read a book like this but Im glad I did. I would reccomend this book to people, because It's a great story and seems to keep you wondering what's going to happen next. Also, the outcome of the overall story is very unexpected and reading this allows me to plot in My head what I think will happen. It was also very descriptive and I was able to create images in My head. I liked this book but it wasn't My favorite.
April 20, 2013
Thirteen year old Grace and her younger sister Sally, spends a summer holiday with their grandmother in Trinidad. Pulled away from her New York home, she is left unhappy with no one to talk to. Whilst there, she finds a photo album. One picture is a blurred image of a man with an identical birthmark to hers. Grace starts to question her family but nobody seems to know who the man is and she feels she has no choice but to look into this. Her search leads her to discover things about herself and her family, that she never could have imagined.
Tracey has drawn a great image of Trinidad, well described. We are quickly drawn into the main story of her birthmark, it drew me in and kept me interested. As they go looking for answers the only thing that I couldn't accept is Grace gets very nervous when Sally runs to a shop in a large crowd, though moments later she leaves her to talk to her friend Raj. In a strange place I wouldn't let go of her hand. Maybe that's the mother in me speaking. As the story comes to its conclusion I love the introduction of Angel's sister.
This is an easy to read book, the writing style really works well and slowly unfurls into a coming of age story. It was a nice, gentle read which I really enjoyed.
Tracey has drawn a great image of Trinidad, well described. We are quickly drawn into the main story of her birthmark, it drew me in and kept me interested. As they go looking for answers the only thing that I couldn't accept is Grace gets very nervous when Sally runs to a shop in a large crowd, though moments later she leaves her to talk to her friend Raj. In a strange place I wouldn't let go of her hand. Maybe that's the mother in me speaking. As the story comes to its conclusion I love the introduction of Angel's sister.
This is an easy to read book, the writing style really works well and slowly unfurls into a coming of age story. It was a nice, gentle read which I really enjoyed.
October 24, 2016
Lovely. This is a quiet book that runs deep with feeling, just like the main character, Grace. Relationships are examined from every angle: grandmothers to grandchildren, mother to daughter, parents' friends to children, father to daughter, and most in depth, sister to sister. Grace delves into what it means to belong as well as how you can feel "other" within your own family.
One of my favorite parts was a passage where the girls are waiting for their grandmother, Ma, to be ready to go with them to town. It's a very simple section, but it perfectly captured the way some women (like my mother) have an entire ritual before they're ready to go out, while the kids just need to slip on their shoes and go. It really took me back to that sense of waiting on the couch for mom to be ready to leave the house.
Warning: This book will make you hungry! The lush and sticky fruits, the plump avocados, the curry and shrimp. Lucky for me I live in a neighborhood with a lot of West Indian restaurants :)
One of my favorite parts was a passage where the girls are waiting for their grandmother, Ma, to be ready to go with them to town. It's a very simple section, but it perfectly captured the way some women (like my mother) have an entire ritual before they're ready to go out, while the kids just need to slip on their shoes and go. It really took me back to that sense of waiting on the couch for mom to be ready to leave the house.
Warning: This book will make you hungry! The lush and sticky fruits, the plump avocados, the curry and shrimp. Lucky for me I live in a neighborhood with a lot of West Indian restaurants :)
June 16, 2013
Angel's Grace sucked me into its pages with island images and great characters, and the mystery at the heart of it really got me involved. But it's the heart in this writing that really shines. A young teen knows she doesn't quite belong...knows that there is a secret at the heart of it. And her relentless spirit keeps her hot on the trail. But what she learns is unexpected, and the bonds of her family are rewoven. A beautiful and tear-inducing book that is so touching. Perfect for readers in the 5th grade through 9th grade age range looking for a heart-felt summer read!
May 15, 2015
I remember reading this book back in high school. I thought this was such a great book. I really did enjoy reading it. I loved the plot and characters of the story. I thought they were very well written. I remember I wanted there to be a sequel to this book. I am not sure if she did write another book or not.
July 2, 2009
I read this because my 14 year old cousin told me to. The beginning was so so slow, I almost didn't want to continue. I'm glad I did though because the ending was really worth it, almost emotional even :)
March 21, 2011
Wow. I personally wish that Angel was still alive. I think that would be the only detail needed to make it any better...However, I Love the end, It was sooo sweet and innocent. The book was so delicate and beautiful. Perfect....I wonder what Angel was like?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2012
A beautiful, warm and sweet story. From begining to end it was entertaining and it kept me intriguied. Anyone can relate to the story in many levels, because it is about family, missunderstandins and love. I highly recommend it.
March 19, 2008
Great way to learn about Trinidad and island culture. Good story, too.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews