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State of Grace
"To Kill a Mockingbird" meets "The Sixth Sense." Eleven-year-old Birdie Holloway is just like most kids growing up in a small, corn-fed Kansas town in the 1980s—that is until her best friend, Grace, is murdered. Suddenly, everything she thinks she knows about her insulated small town life is called into question and nothing is as it seems. Obsessed in figuring out who killed her friend, Birdie spends years trying to find the murderer. Her childhood flair for drawing develops into a real talent for abstract painting and her gift leads her to another person interested in the case. A person who knows she is very close to solving the murder and who will kill again to keep her quiet. And nothing is as it seems.
294 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2016
About the author
Sandra Moran
9 books83 followersSandra Moran was a teacher, author and international woman of intrigue.
A native Kansan, Sandra worked as a newspaper journalist, a political speech writer and an archaeological tour manager. When she was not running around Kansas City (literally) or torturing students with the fundamentals of anthropology, she was found in her lair making up stories.
Her debut novel, "Letters Never Sent" was chosen as the winner of 2014 Ann Bannon Popular Fiction Award (GCLS), 2014 General Fiction Award (GCLS), 2013 Rainbow Award for Historical Fiction, and the 2013 Rainbow Award for Lesbian Debut Novel. It was also a finalist for the prestigious Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction (Triangle Awards).
Sandra was also the author of "All We Lack," "Nudge," and "The Addendum." Her next novel, "State of Grace" will be available in August 2016.
In October 2015 Sandra was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. On November 7, 2015, less than a month after diagnosis, she was gone. All of those who knew her, or read her books, are forever changed for the better.
A native Kansan, Sandra worked as a newspaper journalist, a political speech writer and an archaeological tour manager. When she was not running around Kansas City (literally) or torturing students with the fundamentals of anthropology, she was found in her lair making up stories.
Her debut novel, "Letters Never Sent" was chosen as the winner of 2014 Ann Bannon Popular Fiction Award (GCLS), 2014 General Fiction Award (GCLS), 2013 Rainbow Award for Historical Fiction, and the 2013 Rainbow Award for Lesbian Debut Novel. It was also a finalist for the prestigious Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction (Triangle Awards).
Sandra was also the author of "All We Lack," "Nudge," and "The Addendum." Her next novel, "State of Grace" will be available in August 2016.
In October 2015 Sandra was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. On November 7, 2015, less than a month after diagnosis, she was gone. All of those who knew her, or read her books, are forever changed for the better.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 14, 2016
Books can affect us in a deeply personal way. One can read a romance and be entertained while another sees heartache. A sex scene can be erotic or romantic, extreme or acceptable, all depending on the mood and viewpoint of the reader. This book affected me deeply, partly I suspect, because of the circumstances of the posthumous publication, but more because of who I am and how my personality reacts to the events that unfold.
I found State of Grace a challenging read. I guess I knew that whatever Sandra wrote could take us in any direction, she was never going to have been a formulaic writer, or one constrained by a genre. This novel proves quite how wide her imagination ranged.
It is an intense read; moving, dramatic, a psychological thriller worthy of King. We laughed at Sandra’s DPAB PDA’s. I’m not laughing now. Full of nostalgia, dripping with suspense, you literally don’t know until the last page which way this story will end.
Like the subject matter, the writing style is also completely different to her previous novels. Less polished, more real, perhaps, with a raw edge. One could assume that was because it was her first book, written years before “Letters Never Sent”, but knowing she had edited it before her untimely passing, and wanted it to be published how she had originally written it, we know this was the voice she wanted us to hear. I think she wanted it to sound young, almost immature, because that is the voice of the protagonist.
It is hard to talk about this story without giving any spoilers, suffice it to say book shows how good a writer Sandra Moran was, and how amazing her oeuvre would have become. The detailed and concentrated exploration of a young woman’s mind reveals both the penetration of an imaginative intellect and the skill of an exemplary writer, pulling us in and keeping us pinned to the page as the story progresses.
I found State of Grace a challenging read. I guess I knew that whatever Sandra wrote could take us in any direction, she was never going to have been a formulaic writer, or one constrained by a genre. This novel proves quite how wide her imagination ranged.
It is an intense read; moving, dramatic, a psychological thriller worthy of King. We laughed at Sandra’s DPAB PDA’s. I’m not laughing now. Full of nostalgia, dripping with suspense, you literally don’t know until the last page which way this story will end.
Like the subject matter, the writing style is also completely different to her previous novels. Less polished, more real, perhaps, with a raw edge. One could assume that was because it was her first book, written years before “Letters Never Sent”, but knowing she had edited it before her untimely passing, and wanted it to be published how she had originally written it, we know this was the voice she wanted us to hear. I think she wanted it to sound young, almost immature, because that is the voice of the protagonist.
It is hard to talk about this story without giving any spoilers, suffice it to say book shows how good a writer Sandra Moran was, and how amazing her oeuvre would have become. The detailed and concentrated exploration of a young woman’s mind reveals both the penetration of an imaginative intellect and the skill of an exemplary writer, pulling us in and keeping us pinned to the page as the story progresses.
July 15, 2016
Wow.
This book, while written first was the last published by this unique and talented writer. I was unable to put it down and was immediately drawn into the story and the lives of the characters. The Kansas landscape and small town atmosphere seeped effortlessly into my consciousness. The story was based on a true story and includes clues and details that are irresistible. Birdie, Natalie, and Grace took me back to the summer days of my young life. Memories of long boring days looking for adventure.
The story winds itself tighter and tighter, until you can't imagine where else it will go.
But, wait.
No spoilers, but take your time, and some may prefer having more lights on at night.
I have read all of Sandra Moran's books and believe this is her finest, most riveting novel.
This book, while written first was the last published by this unique and talented writer. I was unable to put it down and was immediately drawn into the story and the lives of the characters. The Kansas landscape and small town atmosphere seeped effortlessly into my consciousness. The story was based on a true story and includes clues and details that are irresistible. Birdie, Natalie, and Grace took me back to the summer days of my young life. Memories of long boring days looking for adventure.
The story winds itself tighter and tighter, until you can't imagine where else it will go.
But, wait.
No spoilers, but take your time, and some may prefer having more lights on at night.
I have read all of Sandra Moran's books and believe this is her finest, most riveting novel.
August 21, 2016
Wow, what an unexpected ending. A nice legacy from Sandra Moran.
July 22, 2020
I had put off reading this for a long time because thinking of Sandra and the way she left us made me SO sad.
Reading this book I felt I was in Sandra's head and heart, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Then, little by little, I became afraid, almost didn't dare read it.
And the end!!! I'll be thinking about this book for a very, very long time.
Everybody should read it!!
Reading this book I felt I was in Sandra's head and heart, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Then, little by little, I became afraid, almost didn't dare read it.
And the end!!! I'll be thinking about this book for a very, very long time.
Everybody should read it!!
March 28, 2020
This book left me unsettled. It was well written, with outstanding character development and kept me up late reading longer than most books.
I was hoping for a happy ending for Birdie, but the way it ended made me sad. She had such a tortured life, and I wonder if Natalie really committed suicide or if it was all in her mind.
I was hoping for a happy ending for Birdie, but the way it ended made me sad. She had such a tortured life, and I wonder if Natalie really committed suicide or if it was all in her mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2017
Kept my interest but I was pretty sure where the ending was headed and that's where it went. And not an ending I particularly cared for tbh
June 12, 2017
Sandra Moran's last book. :( Not my favorite of hers, but still very good. A twist at the end I really did not see coming.
September 12, 2016
This was an exceptional book that kept me guessing until the very end. I felt the characters were very well developed and easy to relate to. Sandra hit on so many of the feelings that growing up in a small town can bring up. The relationships were palpable, believable and captivating. I only wish I could tell Sandra how much I enjoyed this book.
August 7, 2016
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would... seriously. It grabbed me, and held me captive when I seriously had no time to read! I couldn't put it down. Read it in less than 2 days... I will truly miss your exceptional writing Sandra. RIP.
April 2, 2016
Thoroughly engrossing, well rounded characters, the pace moves fairly quickly (which I enjoy) - awesome twists in the story line - one heck of an ending. A must read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews