Without Grace: A Novel

by Carol Hoenig

"Searching, soulful Without Grace is a heartfelt exploration of that small town in all of us, our bittersweet Place of Angels."

-Arthur Kent, journalist, documentary filmmaker, and author of Warlord Reborn

"Like Scout Finch and Mattie Ross and Ellen Foster before her, Vicky Finley has grit and will and insight, a wry eye for the world around her, and a deeply engaging way of finding there a place of her own."

-Michael Malone, author of Handling Sin

After the death of her grandmother, Vicky Finley is left to create a place for herself in a houseful of men and becomes consumed by the notion of finding Grace, the mother who abandoned the family when Vicky was just a baby. Vicky's devoted and protective older brother Kevin does his best to look after her while fighting to keep their land and spare their farming community from a ruthless developer who threatens to forever change the world they know.

The Finleys learn firsthand how memories can betray us, how secrets of the past can burden the present, and how tragedy can test our resolve. And as Vicky ambitiously pursues her passion for cooking, honors a promise to her brother, and manages to bring a struggling community together, she discovers what really makes a family.

Without Grace is a heartening portrait of small-town life and a tender and triumphant coming-of-age tale about the complexities and comforts of family and the healing that comes with letting go of the past.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 21, 2005

About the author

President of Carol Hoenig, Publishing Consultant, Inc. where I cover a variety of aspects in the publishing industry, including, ghostwriting, editing, publicity and marketing for authors and helping with book proposals. I was named Best of Long Island Author 2012 by the Long Island Press and named Outstanding Advocate for the Arts 2013 by the Long Island Arts Council. (My website carolhoenig.com provides a lot more details.)
I also rescue dogs and have three rescues, Louis, Lacey and Sherlock.

Reviews

[RORY VECSEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought what I always do when I put down a book I loved and will read again: I am sorry I finished it. Carol Hoenig paints her characters so you feel the hearts in them. They become part of your existence. You are surprised throughout the book and forced to stop and pause, as if a good friend has told you what is going on in their life. Some of these scenes are major, some just a short dialogue, and some just the normal twists, turns and decisions of normal life. All stop you for a moment before you are forced to read on to the end.

With this novel, I was fortunate to know Hoenig has another I had not read, Of Little Faith and that gave me some consolation.

[Chelsie Russo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart. I feel so much sadness in leaving these characters behind.

I have a real attachment to Vicky and her family. They felt like people I’ve known all of my life.

This is a novel that deserves to be read. Especially for those from Northern New York ❤️

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

2017 Reading Challenge - A self-published book

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the fact that this book was very similar to where I live. Actually it’s not very far from where I am. Good story.

[Talia Carner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carol Hoenig's literary adventure is no less fascinating than her highly polished, beautifully written novel. "Without Grace" has all the markings of an excellent novel: interesting, well-defined characters that rope our emotions, strong dialogue, succinct yet lyrical prose, and a good tale.

Yet, Hoenig could not get the attention of the publishing world. Or rather, once her novel had been parked with one agent, no other agent would touch it. And once it had made the rounds of publishing houses, well, it was as unvirginal as a hooker trying to get married in Iran.... Never mind that the acquisition editors who had passed on contracting the book were no longer at the publishing houses and that the new editors replacing them have never seen the book (since the agent was not doing her work.) "Without Grace" was dead, while lesser novels were seeing the light of the day.

Carol Hoenig had the book self-published under iUniverse. I have many reservations about the way self-publishing outfits take advantage of desperate authors. But this was not the case, as iUniverse placed the novel in their "star" program and gave it the push a main publishing house should have.

And I am lucky to have stumbled upon Hoenig's book, which gave me hours of pleasurable reading I rarely get these days from a lot of the mediocre work out there that make the best-seller lists....

There are those of us who wait for Oprah to find for them hidden treasures of good writing. And then there are those who like to do the treasure-hunting themselves. I belong to the latter group. Check this one out.

[Tree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual fare, but a very enjoyable book that I didn't want to put down at the end. It's the story of a (very) small-town girl and the issues she has growing up without her mother. The characters are well fleshed-out, the plot hums along, and there are twists and turns that keep it interesting. It's also very interesting to note that the book was self-published and yet still obtained some traction in the mass market arena.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story. Carol Hoenjg is a talented storyteller and writer. I love how she kept the relationships real and focused on the ones that truly mattered. I found myself reading the last third in one sitting, not wanting to put the book down. I am looking forward to reading her other novels.

[Sherry Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

predictable but good