Taking Miss Grady Home

by Andrea Chasen

Katherine Grady had everything going for her. Raised by a wealthy, cultured grandmother in a New England town, she was a brilliant pianist and a beautiful, vivacious young woman. As a promising student at New York City’s Julliard School of Music, she relished the excitement of living in the country’s greatest city, dancing at nightclubs, exploring Manhattan and enjoying her friends. On the eve of World War II, she even met a handsome, charming young man, a Southerner. Then the world shifted. After her boyfriend was shipped overseas to the front, Katherine discovered a terrible fact that altered her entire life. Many decades later, two strangers meet: Harry, a Long Island lawyer on the cusp of retirement, and Muriel, a determined, resourceful reporter at the small newspaper in the town where Katherine was raised. Harry, who wrote Katherine’s Will decades before, now feels obliged to honor the almost impossible to fulfill wishes in Katherine’s Will, but there are no relatives who can explain the mystery of Katherine’s life. The reporter instinctively knows there’s a good story here, and she can’t bear unanswered questions: Why did this young woman move to a residential development on Long Island that was built for former GIs, and why did she die alone, without friends or family? Setting out to solve the mysteries of a long life, Harry and Muriel’s quest leads them along unexpected paths. Based on a true account, this deeply compassionate story, full of humor, is actually a detective story, seeking to solve mysteries: How can a life of great promise suddenly change? How do our actions reverberate years afterward? What makes a life valuable and meaningful?

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 12, 2018

Reviews

[Fougère Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a poignant and moving story!

And what a compelling book, as well. To me, it epitomizes the art of imagination - taking the bare outlines of a story, then giving it flesh, bones, sinews, tendons, hair, etc. I so enjoyed the way the discovery of the story of Kate's/Katherine's life unfolded, meeting her friends, and getting to know the searchers, Harry and Muriel, as they persisted in their investigation. I've always found books that “get to the bottom” of things very satisfying and this one is no exception.

[S. Nomakeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a mystery based on a true story. Harry Duncan a lawyer and Muriel Porter a reporter team up to solve the mystery of Kate Grady who died lonely and alone. This woman was a recluse and would have gone to her grave with no tears shed. Just as the lawyer and the reporter were drawn into her story, so was I. The author Andrea Chasen had the ability to take a simple story and turn it into a tale I had to stick with to the end. I enjoyed this and recommend it highly.

[Ann Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt novel with a timeless message about life

What a touching and heartfelt story! It is even more impressive as it emerged from a real life experience. Andrea has delivered a very engaging story about one young woman’s life changing dilemma against the backdrop of women’s struggles over reproductive freedom and the changing mores from the 1940s to the present. She made Miss Grady really come alive - well done!

[Jpk139 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2⭐️