True Grace: A Black Woman's Journey to Save Her Family

by Karen E. Osborne

A powerful story about love, courage, sacrifice, resilience, and hope, True Grace, set in 1924 during the Harlem Renaissance and Roaring Twenties, chronicles the journey of an immigrant, mixed-raced woman from The Congo, England, and Jamaica, fighting for her family's survival.

Inspired by real people and events, Grace must navigate the misogyny and racism of the courts, banks, child welfare system, and bad actors to hold her family together. Calling on her grit, determination, and grace, she must overcome harrowing circumstances. Readers will find themselves hooked from the first riveting chapter and cheering for Grace each step of the way.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

307 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2023

About the author

I can't remember a time when I didn't want to write or wasn't writing.
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As a little girl growing up in the Bronx, I told my friends stories I made up, but pretended were true (imagined reality was better received by the audience). I wrote my first short story when I was twelve. In middle school, I'd submit book reports about my own stories with fake author names. Never caught and always received an A. Under my graduation picture in the Evander Childs High School yearbook next to "ambition," it said writer. Marriage, children, and career sidelined my true passion, but didn't squelch it.
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Getting It Right came to me in scenes. I finished the first draft in a year. It took a very long time to re-write it. Since finishing it, I've written two more books and am working on a fourth.
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Tangled Lies, an award-winning mystery, came out last year and Reckonings, women's suspense fiction releases June 2022.
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More About Karen
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For seven years, Karen was an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. She founded The Osborne Group, a philanthropy and organizational management consulting firm, now run by her son, Robert Osborne, Jr.
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Awarded for excellence as a motivational speaker and trainer, she is the recipient of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education's Crystal Apple for public speaking and the Ashmore Award for Outstanding Service. Karen serves on the boards of Easterseals Florida and Wise Giving Alliance in DC.

Reviews

[Sheila Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Grace is a story about the drive to keep a family intact after a tragic event. Set during the 1920s in New York City, and a tumultuous time period for Black women especially, the reader will view society through Grace's lens as a Black woman who can pass as White. Grace has five children to take care of after finding out her husband has done a terrible act. By using her wits, talents, and willpower, Grace finds a path for her family. A heartfelt novel of redemption with relatable characters.

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: TRUE GRACE
AUTHOR: Karen Osborne
PUB DATE: 09.06.2023 Now Available

I love reading historical fiction especially those set in the roaring 20’s with a protagonist that is able to rise despite all odds and challenges. Grace Herbert is a character that will stay with me for a while. In this story that grabs you from the first chapter, I found myself deep into the story and how this book just swallowed me whole. True Grace did not just tug at my heartstrings, it ripped it up and slowly pieced it back together in this story of courage and resilience.

The writing was emotional and with high stakes that I found Grace an inspiring character seeing the depths of what a mother would do to protect her children and the power of love. The plotting and pacing was wonderfully executed, with the build up of the suspense that kept my fingers turning. This read was entertaining and one I highly recommend.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen E. Osborne, the author of “True Grace,” has written a captivating and poignant Historical Fiction Novel inspired by actual events and real people. The timeline for this Domestic Fiction and Suspenseful story is set in 1924, during the Roaring Twenties in Harlem. In addition to the Harlem Renaissance, the story takes place in different New York City places, as well as references to The Congo, England, and Jamaica. Karen E. Osborne vividly describes her characters as complex, complicated, and courageous. Some are flawed. There are betrayals, and the author describes life for a mixed-race woman who is an immigrant at the time. There is inequality when it comes to men and women. There are discrepancies in how people are treated because of race and color.

The protagonist, Grace, is faced with making decisions out of love and morality. After some disturbing and tragic events, Grace’s husband is sent to jail. As a light black woman with children, Grace is forced to look for ways for their survival. As Grace replays history in her mind with her parents, she realizes why her mother made certain decisions. Grace is resourceful, creative, and determined, and her goals and dreams are to make dresses to sell. Grace is forced to make other difficult, painful decisions at this point in history. Grace is forced to deal with the inequities of the law, courts, child welfare, banks, gangs, and corrupt people.

The decisions that Grace was forced to make were heartbreaking, and I was constantly cheering her on. I highly recommend this memorable and thought-provoking novel. I appreciate the author discussing the importance of equality, family, friends, community, courage, determination, love, and hope.

[Haris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen E. Osborne’s “True Grace” gripped me from the very first page. It's beautifully written and the characters and sense of place are so vivid and visceral. 1920’s Harlem comes alive and so do the lives of Grace and her children and their struggle to survive. Grace has to navigate a world where she has no place and no power other than her own. Her strength and persistence and courage against all odds really touched me. I couldn't put it down and by the end, it brought me to tears. It’s a fantastic story of true courage, persistence, and yes…grace.

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compelling historical fiction novel set in 1924 New York. It’s based on events from the life of the author’s grandmother.

Grace is an educated bi-racial woman who has ties to England, the Congo, and Jamaica.

Her life is going well for herself and her 5 children in Harlem until on day when she forgets to grab some letters to mail and has to go back to her apartment and get them.

Grace’s life takes many unexpected turns and she must makes hard choices for the survival of her family.

Grace’s True Grit was my title for this read as Grace faces a life very different than she anticipated. From marrying young to dealing with uncooperative government agencies to crossing paths with unsavory characters, Grace’s story is a lesson learned about overcoming adversity.

As heavy at times as the book felt, I appreciated Grace’s journey. The fact that this book was based on a real person makes the read even more powerful in my opinion.

[Nancy Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Grace Herbert is a young biracial mother of five children in 1920's Harlem. She's had an unusually cosmopolitan upbringing as the daughter of missionaries to the Congo, a white British father who married a black woman. She attended a boarding school in England, but after her father's death was forced to move to Jamaica with her mother, having become invisible to her white family members. Married at a very young age, she and her husband have moved to Harlem to raise their family.

After an earth-shattering discovery, Grace's life is turned upside down. Her husband is no longer in the picture, and she has to find a way to support her family. She is faced with continual struggles: the physical and emotional welfare of her children, navigating the foster care system as a temporary solution, attempting to start her own business, being subjected to racism from every side, all while living a lie about the true reason for her circumstances. Yet she meets these challenges with courage and resourcefulness, determined to reunite her family - not an easy thing for a woman at that time.

The author did an amazing job of creating the setting of the Harlem Renaissance - but what really stands out in this book is Grace herself. Great read!

[Diane Nagatomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“True Grace” by Karen E. Osborne is an absolute page turner—I couldn’t stop reading it until I reached the end. Taking place in the Roaring Twenties in Harlem, Grace (a mixed-race immigrant with a British father and an African mother) experiences the worst sort of betrayal imaginable from her husband and becomes forced to make heartbreaking decisions in order to save her family. We see the inequities faced by people of color, women in particular. From the police reports, the childcare services, the banks—Grace holds her head up high and does what it takes—even though her children blame her for the change in their lives. I feel so invested in this character I want to know what happens to her—all the way up to her old age.
Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a review copy of this remarkable book. A strong five stars (in fact, if I could give ten, I would).

[Willow Grimaldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author gave me this book in a giveaway with the sweetest note! The book is very real and doesn't shy from that realness of the world. It's beautifully written and you really feel for each member of the family in this story.

[Frances-Marie Coke · Rating 5 out of 5]

“True Grace” will engage readers from start to finish. Fans of Osborne’s popular contemporary suspense novels may pause at the thought of her switch to historical drama; but there is no need. It is a smooth and moving transition to the world of 1920s New York, when Harlem buzzed with racial mingling and conflict, the arts flourished, the Black Middle class grew, and some were becoming known as the first generation of independent women. Not so for Grace - Osborne’s grandmother/protagonist - at least not at first.

Though still under thirty, she has settled into the routine of being wife and mother of five, when her life is suddenly upended by disaster. In desperation and panic, she descends into a deep sorrow, worsened by encounters with racism, misogyny, and systems of justice and social services that are stacked against a Black immigrant woman struggling to save her family and herself. Through flashbacks to her former life in the Congo, Britain, and Jamaica, readers get glimpses into the past that has made Grace not just brittle and vulnerable, but daring and indomitable.

Osborne’s deft piloting of her journey through dense thickets to a glimmer of light underscore the grit, spirit, and mettle of a seemingly compliant wife who swallows her pride and gets her hands dirty to save her family, never abandoning her gift of “true grace.” Reminders are everywhere of Osborne’s delight in creating mysteries and corners around corners, but it is not in these that the appeal of “True Grace” lies.

The appeal comes from Osborne’s understanding of the world she has re-created and from her insights into the mind and heart of her title character who falls, fights, and rises on the wings of her heritage as the “daughter of missionaries who fought the Congo River, fended off disease and famine, built schools and water-wells...[a woman] from strong British and African stock.”

Thumbs up to Osborne for bringing us this woman who stares down adversity and exudes the kind of character that inspires others to do the same!

[Gayle Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen E. Osborne's True Grace is a gripping and emotionally charged historical novel that delves deep into the heart of a mother's love and the lengths she will go to protect her family. Set in the vibrant backdrop of 1920's Harlem, Osborne takes readers on an intense and suspenseful journey through the life of Grace, a woman whose resilience and determination are nothing short of inspiring.

Osborne delivers a mesmerizing and impactful tale that grips readers from start to finish. As the story unfolds, we become intimately invested in Grace's journey, celebrating her triumphs, and sharing in her heartaches. From the very first page, Osborne's storytelling prowess is evident as she draws readers into Grace's world.

At the core of the narrative is Grace, a courageous and fiercely devoted mother who sacrifices everything to shield her children from the perils of her own family. As the pages turn, the stakes heighten, and tension mounts as Grace faces one harrowing challenge after another. Osborne masterfully weaves together themes of love, sacrifice, and determination, making Grace a character readers will root for and empathize with wholeheartedly.

True Grace is not just a tale of survival but also an exploration of the strength of familial bonds. Grace's unwavering commitment to keeping her family together, regardless of the consequences, serves as a moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The complexity of the characters and the depth of their relationships breathe life into the narrative, making it an emotional rollercoaster of a read.

Osborne's prose is captivating, elegant, and evocative, painting vivid pictures of a bygone era. The book's pacing is excellent, steadily building suspense. Moreover, the novel provides a thought-provoking examination of the challenges faced by marginalized communities during a period of great cultural upheaval and social change. Through Grace's experiences, Osborne touches on issues of race, class, and gender, shedding light on the struggles of the time without shying away from the harsh realities of discrimination and injustice.

This novel is a testament to the indomitable spirit of motherhood and the enduring power of love. It’s a must-read for historical fiction enthusiasts and anyone who appreciates a compelling narrative filled with richly drawn characters and a powerful exploration of the human spirit. Osborne's exceptional storytelling talent shines through, making this novel an unforgettable and deeply affecting experience that lingers in the mind and heart long after the final page is turned.

[J. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seldom in recent years have I felt so immediately connected to a fictional character and her family, friends and surroundings. Rarely have I read a domestic drama which had me whipping through the pages, enthralled, to see what misadventure would befall them all in the next chapter. But Osborne’s Harlem-Renaissance-set TRUE GRACE features this author’s special talent for suspense-writing, balanced with her equal skill of bringing her characters– especially her protagonist/narrator– not just to life, but vividly breathing the very same air as the reader.
Experiencing (not just reading!) TRUE GRACE brought a new and steadfast friend into my life: Grace (Gigi) Graham Herbert. I believe I will never forget this brave, elegant young woman who carries herself with pride and decorum no matter what horrors she witnesses, what suffering she or her children must endure, what mental or physical agony she, or they, are forced to suffer. Grace’s early years with her missionary parents in the Congo, England and Jamaica make a fascinating juxtaposition with her current 1920s life.
Osborne’s knack of making her reader feel we are in the very room, or speakeasy, or vehicle as Grace, with all our senses on alert and absorbing it all without lengthy pages of description, is nothing short of exceptional. At the same time her dialogue is crisp, her action fast-paced, and her rich characterizations are drawn with both of the latter tools, so no paragraph slows the reader down while we try to visualize. The characters are just THERE, fully-developed, three-dimensional, like magic. And while Grace’s background and her personality are extraordinary, one is aware at all times that her situation was sadly anything but.
I plan on recommending TRUE GRACE to several book clubs; it is an ideal choice for shared experiences and provocative discussion.
A compelling and suspenseful historical family drama, about a woman with intelligence, courage, heart, and of course - grace.

- J. Ivanel Johnson, award-winning author of the JUST (e)STATE mysteries and the musical Rough Notes

[T R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in the first person the intensity of action begins from the first pages when the Grace’s (the protagonist) husband Henry and their five children are introduced: Sylvie-14, Patience (aka Patricia)-13, George-8, Irene-5 and Andy-3. They live in an apartment in Harlem, five flights up and in the walks up to their apartment multiple conversations take place depicting the main character as a helpful, considerate neighbor, a woman I care about. She enters her apartment and finds something devastating taking place, so horrible she phones the police, but when they arrive with chauvinistic attitudes intact they are of no help. I also learn from the beginning pages that it took time for the neighbors to accept Grace; especially those migrated from the south, who are cautious about her fair skin, light eyes and British accent; she from Jamaica, before that England, originating in the Congo. What I instantly appreciate is how well the author set the scenes in an appropriate time period, right down the ankle length dress Grace has to pick up to climb stairs, the telephone with a piece for mouth and another for ear, and all the attention to the time-appropriate detail.

As the story continues abuses and lies are revealed, and heartbreaking situations demanding grave solutions but Grace manages to navigate through dealing with police, lawyers and the courts, trying to make ends meet working as a seamstress and borrowing money. You feel for her and her children and want her to come out on top but page after page doubting how she’ll achieve it. But the doubt is cast aside because Grace, is no ordinary woman, and this is no ordinary story, and when things take one bad turn after another, Grace doesn’t succumb—an admirable trait in this exceptional character. There was no lack of action, and surprise right up to the unexpected, but satisfying ending. This is a book I won’t soon forget, a story that flowed like silk page after page, by an author who knows how to write, an author who is a master-class storyteller. Highly recommend.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The first time my husband died, I felt fear, shame, and guilt. The second time he died…” Thus begins the harrowing Harlem journey of Grace Herbert in a 1920s roaring with renaissance and racism, “secrets and lies–treacherous twins working in concert…Secrets are bits of life-carnage tucked away, hidden from the light…When you keep them tucked inside, secrets as hard as marbles…you can pretend.” But “A constant diet of secrets, lies, grief, and shame hollowed you out…weighed you down, cobbled you to stories you shared, but then forgot.”

“Colored, female, and an immigrant” Grace is “a convict’s wife, committed for a heinous crime…navigating the halls of justice or…the halls of injustice, unfairness, and luck of the draw.” She’s the daughter of courageous British and African parents, brave and mighty people, missionaries who fought the Congo River, rhinos, and crocodiles, fended off disease and famine, thrashed through the bush to dig wells and build schools and hospitals. Bringing the World of God. “My English and African blood saturates me with strength…Now, I must save my family.”

When she discovers her husband molesting their child, Grace is determined that her daughter will not be the mother of her sister. She has her husband convicted and tells family and friends he is dead. “People treat a widow differently than a criminal’s wife.” Despite her secret, she is compelled to relinquish her home, leave her babies in foster care living next to a child-seller, and abandon her eldest daughters to work instead of attending school.

She forges a career as a dressmaker to reunite her family and survive. “In none of this literature I devoured was a woman like me sitting before a judge, testifying to her husband’s horrible acts and character.” Inspired by real people and events, Karen E. Osborne’s True Grace is a compelling addition to our bookshelves. “Scary, exhilarating, and grand.” I was hooked from the first sentence and read it in one sitting.

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tragic but Captivating Uplifting Story.
True Grace, by Karen E. Osborne is a beautifully written book and is set during the 1920s in New York City. During this period, it is a tumultuous time for women but especially if you are Black. The story is a about Grace and the drive to keep her family intact after the tragic event when Grace discovers her husband in bed with their 13-year-old daughter. Grace reports her husband to the police and eventually he is put in jail.
As a black woman with children, Grace is forced to look for ways to survive as she navigates the racism of the courts, and the child welfare system. Eventually Grace must put the three younger children in temporary care and the two older girls and Grace go into service tending to white rich families.
I loved the time setting, and the friendships Grace can make while dealing with racism and poverty among many other things. The book is a powerful story about love, courage, sacrifice, resilience, and hope, and you will find the book will hold you captive by its tragic and uplifting journey to the very last page. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marisa Dondlinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Grace is a historical novel set in 1920s Harlem that follows the journey of Grace, mother of five, as she struggles to keep her children after her husband committed a horrible crime. Due to her skin color, gender, and class, Grace is left with few options to protect and provide for her young children. Yet with each obstacle she faces, she finds a will and a way to rise above.

Osborne’s prose is rich in detail in painting Grace’s world—from the flapper dresses to speakeasys to the inability to obtain money without her husband’s signature. But it’s the emotions Osborne’s writing evokes that impresses the most. From the first chapter, Osborne draws the reader directly into Grace’s dilemma and doesn’t let go until the last page. The reader is cheering, praying, and heartbroken at every turn, as well as reflective in asking themselves how they would handle the situation.

While historical novels aren’t necessarily known for twists and turns, the plot doesn’t let up for a minute. You will be kept guessing as to what new hurdle Grace will have to jump. Highly recommend for fans of Martha Hall Kelly and Pam Jenoff.

[Carolyn Geduld · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Edith Wharton chronicled early twentieth-century white upper-class society, Karen E. Osborne does the same for black middle-class society in the same period. In Wharton’s novels, the enemy was stuffy morality. In True Grace, set in Harlem in 1924, the enemy is institutional racism and a pedophile husband.

When Grace discovers that her husband raped her two eldest daughters, she has him arrested and sets out to find a way to support her five children. She becomes a lady’s maid for a wealthy Jewish family (the Christians hire the Irish, not Black women) and a dressmaker, but has to send her three youngest into foster care. Everyone has good intentions, except for another abusive man who tries to sell Grace’s youngest son.

The novel provides a thoughtful analysis of why mothers can be forced to abandon their children. Grace’s white grandmother abandoned her black mother, and when her mother had no income, she abandoned Grace by arranging for her to get married at age thirteen. Grace finds herself in similar circumstances.

But this is a novel of hope. Talent, hard work, high principles, and luck help Grace find the true grace of the book’s title.

[Cam Torrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen E. Osborne hops genres this round and proves the best authors refuse to be categorized. True Grace, Osborne’s first dip into historical fiction squeezes the reader's heart in the first pages with a grip that refuses to yield until the last paragraph.

Osborne’s heartbreaking tale of a family in peril is set in Renaissance Harlem with flashes of The Congo, England, and Jamaica. It’s a story of a woman, Grace Herbert, battling against two truths and one misperception—she’s Black, she’s a woman, and she’s the only one who can save her family.

Beautifully written, Osborne immerses the reader in 1920s Harlem in the same fashion as Colson Whitehead did in his novel Harlem Shuffle set in the 1960s. The book’s theme, reminiscent of Yu Hua’s novel-turned-movie To Live, reminds us that the capability to endure suffering with ragged optimism is often portrayed by ordinary people…people who choose to ignore fate and instead plunge forward with instinctive faith in themselves. In Grace’s case, she also finds “grace” in those surrounding her.

I absolutely loved this book!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel inspired by the author’s family history, transports you to the year 1924.
When the main character (Grace) stumbles upon a terrible and tragic incident, there is no going back on what needs to be done. As a mixed race mother of five living in Harlem, she makes desperate decisions that change the lives of everyone involved. This emotional story will grab your heart and lead you into some terrifying situations at the same time exposing you to tender and gentle moments of comfort and resilience.
Generational trauma, racism, misfortune, friendship and at last, hope are at the core of this novel. Without saying too much, this book will leave you thinking about it for long after you finish. This woman and mother was brave and loyal beyond belief, cleaver and resourceful. Thankfully she had loving and concerned friends that helped this family along their traumatic journey. You will “Feel” and "live" with this family as you read along with Grace telling her story. Highly recommended.

[Jill Caugherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

With its wicked-fast plot and stunning heroine, True Grace immediately snags and immerses readers in the colorful nineteen-twenties Harlem of speakeasies, gangsters, and flappers. After she finds her family in a dangerous, untenable situation, Grace Herbert is desperate to protect her children. As a light-skinned Black woman who traces her roots to England, Jamaica, and the Congo, she struggles to earn money in a society that is stacked against her because of her race and gender. Grace must draw upon her courage, wit, strength, and love for her children to make a heart-wrenching decision. You will root every step of the way for this determined, incredible woman as she negotiates the difficult and often racist courts, foster care system, and police force to save her children! A propulsive family saga with vivid historical detail. - Jill Caugherty, author of The View from Half Dome and Waltz in Swing Time

[Sarah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to lie, this book was hard to read at times. It delt with a lot of heavy topics and the author does such a great job at bringing the story to life, so it was emotional and hard imagining what the family was going through. I loved how strong Grace was and how she always put her children first. She was trying not to repeat her parent’s mistakes and I liked how it referenced her childhood through some flashbacks. The emotions that her children were displaying she recalled feeling the same way and desperately wanted to make it easier on them. My heart broke at the decisions Grace had to make to support her family and the situations that her children were put into because of it. I loved the setting, and the friendships Grace was able to make while dealing with poverty and racism among other things. The ending wrapped everything up nicely and left me with hope for Grace and her family.

Thank you @writerkareneosborne and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the first chapter, the author delivers a gut-wrenching blow and you’re hooked.

This is a layered and complex story about a woman’s battle to protect her children, as well as survive in a world where she has no power and no voice.

Set in 1924 Harlem, Grace is a mixed-raced immigrant raising five children. Then, she faces a cruel betrayal and must try to see to it that her husband is put in jail. At every juncture, she comes up against racism and misogyny. But Grace is made of something stronger. With courage, she withstands the trials and fights for those she loves. Through it all, Grace comes to understand more of what her own mother did, spurring her on to make some very tough decisions.

Not only is this a suspenseful and powerful story about a mother’s love, but it speaks to the need for community and yes, the importance of grace.

Thank you @Suzyapprovedbooktours and @writerkareneosborne for a spot on tour and a gifted book.

[P.L. Jonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Grace is a shocking tale of betrayal, tragedy, and insurmountable challenges. The protagonist, Grace, faces the harshness of life with “grace” and intelligence. She struggles to care for her children and the challenge to protecting them from the dangers of the world she lives. The story moves at a consistent pace from one surprise and harrowing experience to another.

Osborne brings to life complex and flawed characters through her magnificent writing that embroiled me in the 1920s. Grace’s past is shown through vivid flashbacks of her beginnings in the Congo, to England, Jamaica, and finally New York. The story carries you into the grand homes of the elite, to the lurid dark speakeasies of the times.

True Grace will hold you captive by its tragic and uplifting journey . . . of true grace.

[Eva Silverfine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loosely based on the author’s own grandmother, “True Grace” tells the story of a woman born in the Congo to a white British missionary and Congolese woman. The novel is set in 1924, and Grace, now twenty-seven and living in Harlem, via Jamaica, is married to an older man who has been abusive to her and, worse, her daughters. Grace, who is a talented seamstress, has a British accent, and can “pass” for white, must make hard choices for herself and five children in a world that can be hostile to Blacks. Fortitude in the face of great challenges, as well as the kindness of friends, eventually promise the life she envisioned for herself and her children. A warm-hearted story of overcoming the odds through perseverance and fighting against a sense of powerless in a society permeated by prejudices.

[Natalie Dyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel had me hooked from the first paragraph: "The first time my husband died, I felt fear shame and guilt. The second time he died..." I was intrigued, and was hardly ably to put the book down till I reached the end. The protagonist, Grace, a mixed-race woman with five children in 1920s Harlem is married to a man who damages two of their daughters in the worst possible way. Grace, a woman who will do anything to protect her children, has to overcome poverty, prejudice, and indifference to her plight.
She fights insurmountable, and the reader cannot imagine how she will overcome the obstacles that are thrown at her every step of the way. Grace is a strong, resilient woman, and Osborne does an excellent job taking the reader along on her journey. We feel everything she's going through.
This is the first book of Osborne's that I've read, but it won't be the last.

[Janis Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fighting Disgrace with True Grace

Readers who seek strong female protagonists who remain true to themselves throughout a story will fall in love with Grace Herbert. The ending of the first chapter grabs the reader with urgency and features one of the most powerful scenes I’ve read in a long time. From there, Grace’s continual struggle to overcome a life-shattering discovery guides her throughout the story. Never wavering, she remains committed to her five children at all costs, despite the high stakes and personal sacrifices. I loved the setting of 1920’s Harlem, complete with its strong sense of community, speakeasies, and neighborhood shops. Karen Osborne has given us a gift from her family in sharing the character, Grace Herbert. I’ll never stop cheering for her.

[Lucille Guarino · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartrending story author Osborne’s True Grace is! It gripped me from the very beginning and didn’t let go. Besides being immersed in the setting, with characterizations of the Roaring Twenties, specifically the Harlem Renaissance, I was totally empathetic to the protagonist’s enormous challenges and all that she had to endure. With her husband gone, she has to figure out a way to provide for her five children, an extremely daunting task that seemed destined to fail. With resolve and determination, she has to make some very difficult decisions or lose her children. This is a story that embodies the experiences of racism, poverty, trauma, violence, with an indomitable focus on the true testament of a mother’s love. This one is tough to put down and worth the read.

[David Rabin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring story of courage and inner strength immersed in richly constructed historical detail.

True Grace tells the story of Grace Herbert, a young mother of five whose life has been defined by tragedy. When her life is upended yet again, she must find the strength and will to protect and preserve her family. Set against the backdrop of 1920s New York City, the story weaves in fascinating historical detail that puts the reader directly into a faraway era. This well-written novel grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept me engaged to the very end.

I was honored to receive an advance reader copy of this book, and the opinions expressed here are my own.

[Yvonne deSousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen E. Osborne pulls you right into this incredible work of fiction. On page one the reader is in Harlem in 1924, running simple errands with our heroine, Grace Herbert. By the end of page four we are shattered and ready to back her up in the fight of her life; for herself, for the young girl she once was and for, most of all, her five children. We are there with her, feeling her fears and pain, and questioning her decisions, all while cheering her refusal to go back to a place where suffering is best ignored.
I loved this book and look forward to reading some of Ms. Osborne’s other works. I highly recommend this read. It is a beautiful story of strength, resilience and l

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace is an amazing woman to behold and a true strength to get family. After learning of her husband's shocking secret (learned in the first chapter and can be a trigger for some but I feel to give it away would be a spoiler) she does what she must to keep going for her family.
It's so heartbreaking.

She has to make many difficult decisions like giving her young children to others to raise while she works as a live-in maid.

She is not always seen and heard as a mixed race woman but the way she demands to be seen and heard is truly inspiring but also, just what a mother would do to protect her own.

[Dawnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspired by real events, this historical novel takes place during the Roaring Twenties and the Harlem Renaissance. This was an emotional and powerful read about a light-skinned black woman trying to provide for her family and keep them safe in a world that is unkind and even more harder for a woman of color. I was literally praying at times reading this and knowing that this isn't just fiction it's actually someone's story. I love historical fiction and this is my favorite time period to read about. Being a New Yorker I love books that are set during the Harlem Renaissance. This is a story that will stay with you. I enjoyed it.

Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY