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Amazing Grace
Pre-school teacher, Grace Lim, thinks that she has finally found her man at age 27. Mr-Blind-Date-No.-7, Mike, has turned out to be everything that she s ever wanted, dreamt about, and more!
With a marriage proposal in hand, Grace thinks that she s set for life. Trouble begins to stir in paradise when Mike informs Grace that he is re-locating from Manila to sunny Singapore because of work.
But the conveniences of modern technology aren t enough to bridge the distance between Mike and Grace, and what of Mike s colleague Kaela who appears in every photo that Mike s uploaded online?
So Grace decides to give Mike a surprise visit in Singapore but is she ready for what she will find?
With a marriage proposal in hand, Grace thinks that she s set for life. Trouble begins to stir in paradise when Mike informs Grace that he is re-locating from Manila to sunny Singapore because of work.
But the conveniences of modern technology aren t enough to bridge the distance between Mike and Grace, and what of Mike s colleague Kaela who appears in every photo that Mike s uploaded online?
So Grace decides to give Mike a surprise visit in Singapore but is she ready for what she will find?
- GenresChick Lit
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Tara F.T. Sering
6 books13 followersTara has been publishing stories since she was 21, but it wasn't until turned 28, after a three-year stint as managing editor of a women's magazine, that she started writing contemporary fiction for women.
Her interests, apart from writing, include travelling, organizing her apartment (which is turning out to be a lifelong preoccupation), and designing covers for imaginary books that she has yet to find the time to write.
Tara is also the author of novellas Almost Married and Between Dinner and Morning After and has written other books as well. She was awarded the National Book Award in 2003 for her work in Almost Married.
Her interests, apart from writing, include travelling, organizing her apartment (which is turning out to be a lifelong preoccupation), and designing covers for imaginary books that she has yet to find the time to write.
Tara is also the author of novellas Almost Married and Between Dinner and Morning After and has written other books as well. She was awarded the National Book Award in 2003 for her work in Almost Married.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 1, 2011
(adapted from my original review posted at Coffeespoons: http://fantaghiro23.blogspot.com/2011...)
This is the first chic-lit I have read in over a year. I lost the taste after reading more or less the same plot. Happily, however, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
The story starts out commonly enough, but many things recommended it to me. First, the familiarity of the setting and the family circumstances. Like most Asian families, Grace's family is close and is intently interested in her relationships. Aside from that, Grace works as a pre-school teacher, not exactly out of a love for the profession. It was just something she could do after graduation. Now, I used to be a teacher, for the love of the profession. But I know a lot of people like Grace, who do it initially because it was a job, then grow to love it afterwards.
A second thing that recommended it to me was the small cast of funny characters. I eventually liked Grace's character, when she finally lays claim to herself. But, to be honest, I found Grace's sister, Lena, and Lena's friend, Han, more interesting. They were women who broke away from the traditional norm, though not completely. They were portrayed as privileged women, true, but not immune from life. I would've been interested to hear their stories, too.
Finally, I liked that the globe-tripping happened near my part of the globe: Southeast Asia. Much as I enjoy reading about trips to Europe and the North Americas, I do love being immersed in the sights, sounds, and tastes of other Asian cultures.
One other interesting thing about Sering's book is that she wrote it in the second person. Now, I respect this conceit, but I admit I didn't exactly take to it. I like the second person perspective, but not when I cannot entirely relate to the character. Grace and I, I feel, have different personalities. Hence, when I read the "you" in the narrative, I disliked being imposed upon. Unfortunately, I couldn't distance myself enough from that "you" to ignore the imposition.
Nevertheless, I'm glad to say that my return foray to chic lit has ultimately been enjoyable. Amazing Grace is a fun book from Palanca Award and Manila Critics Circle National Book Award for YA winner Tara Sering. Good enough to make me very curious about the other books in the Asian chick lit series, Mrs. Marriage and Undercover Tai Tai. I think it's the Asian flavor that might finally make me give in to chick lit again.
This is the first chic-lit I have read in over a year. I lost the taste after reading more or less the same plot. Happily, however, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
The story starts out commonly enough, but many things recommended it to me. First, the familiarity of the setting and the family circumstances. Like most Asian families, Grace's family is close and is intently interested in her relationships. Aside from that, Grace works as a pre-school teacher, not exactly out of a love for the profession. It was just something she could do after graduation. Now, I used to be a teacher, for the love of the profession. But I know a lot of people like Grace, who do it initially because it was a job, then grow to love it afterwards.
A second thing that recommended it to me was the small cast of funny characters. I eventually liked Grace's character, when she finally lays claim to herself. But, to be honest, I found Grace's sister, Lena, and Lena's friend, Han, more interesting. They were women who broke away from the traditional norm, though not completely. They were portrayed as privileged women, true, but not immune from life. I would've been interested to hear their stories, too.
Finally, I liked that the globe-tripping happened near my part of the globe: Southeast Asia. Much as I enjoy reading about trips to Europe and the North Americas, I do love being immersed in the sights, sounds, and tastes of other Asian cultures.
One other interesting thing about Sering's book is that she wrote it in the second person. Now, I respect this conceit, but I admit I didn't exactly take to it. I like the second person perspective, but not when I cannot entirely relate to the character. Grace and I, I feel, have different personalities. Hence, when I read the "you" in the narrative, I disliked being imposed upon. Unfortunately, I couldn't distance myself enough from that "you" to ignore the imposition.
Nevertheless, I'm glad to say that my return foray to chic lit has ultimately been enjoyable. Amazing Grace is a fun book from Palanca Award and Manila Critics Circle National Book Award for YA winner Tara Sering. Good enough to make me very curious about the other books in the Asian chick lit series, Mrs. Marriage and Undercover Tai Tai. I think it's the Asian flavor that might finally make me give in to chick lit again.
November 16, 2010
Originally posted here.
A lot of Filipino girls in their late twenties will be able to relate to Grace and what she's going through - how she's constantly pressured by friends and family to settle down and get married to the point that she agrees to go on several blind dates. She gets lucky on her seventh try when she meets Mike and they hit it off. They start dating regularly and two years later, he proposes. Unfortunately, Mike has to move to a different country for work and that's when their relationship problems start. We all know how difficult long distance relationships are, more so when one of the parties doesn't seem committed to the relationship. The writing style takes some getting used to as Tara FT Sering uses the second person point of view, which I don't usually encounter.
While it was fun to read Grace's adventures as she navigates the tricky waters of love, I don't agree with some of the choices that she made throughout the book. I mean seriously, Mike was the one at fault and Grace still decides to go after him to try and salvage their dying relationship. I wanted to smack her and tell her not to bother going after someone who's obviously not that into her anymore. I guess the author needed a reason for Grace to hop from one country to another and experience several things that will help her with her realizations. I still enjoyed reading the book as a whole as there were some funny scenes that made me smile. I also liked where the author went with the ending. I'm going to be on the lookout for Tara FT Sering's other books and I hope she comes out with new titles soon. I recommend this to anyone who's interested in chick lit and Asian cultures, it's light and fluffy so very easy to read.
A lot of Filipino girls in their late twenties will be able to relate to Grace and what she's going through - how she's constantly pressured by friends and family to settle down and get married to the point that she agrees to go on several blind dates. She gets lucky on her seventh try when she meets Mike and they hit it off. They start dating regularly and two years later, he proposes. Unfortunately, Mike has to move to a different country for work and that's when their relationship problems start. We all know how difficult long distance relationships are, more so when one of the parties doesn't seem committed to the relationship. The writing style takes some getting used to as Tara FT Sering uses the second person point of view, which I don't usually encounter.
While it was fun to read Grace's adventures as she navigates the tricky waters of love, I don't agree with some of the choices that she made throughout the book. I mean seriously, Mike was the one at fault and Grace still decides to go after him to try and salvage their dying relationship. I wanted to smack her and tell her not to bother going after someone who's obviously not that into her anymore. I guess the author needed a reason for Grace to hop from one country to another and experience several things that will help her with her realizations. I still enjoyed reading the book as a whole as there were some funny scenes that made me smile. I also liked where the author went with the ending. I'm going to be on the lookout for Tara FT Sering's other books and I hope she comes out with new titles soon. I recommend this to anyone who's interested in chick lit and Asian cultures, it's light and fluffy so very easy to read.
February 18, 2020
I read this because it appeared as one of the recommended books around the theme of love.
This is a book that should be sold as a script - it's far too perfunctory to be considered a novel.
The heart of the novel is a good one - Mike proposes to Grace, but Mike then accepts a job offer to move to Singapore. But once in Singapore, Mike is always "too busy with work to chat" and his new colleague, Kaela, consistently turns up in photos. Grace spontaneously flies to Singapore to investigate what is up with Mike to then discover that Mike .
These scenes are described briefly - we don't have much time to really get to know Grace, other than her having an extended family (being of Chinese-descent in Manila isn't really an issue) who rally to her. I did quite enjoy this though:
It's a lot of telling, not showing.
This is a book that should be sold as a script - it's far too perfunctory to be considered a novel.
The heart of the novel is a good one - Mike proposes to Grace, but Mike then accepts a job offer to move to Singapore. But once in Singapore, Mike is always "too busy with work to chat" and his new colleague, Kaela, consistently turns up in photos. Grace spontaneously flies to Singapore to investigate what is up with Mike to then discover that Mike .
These scenes are described briefly - we don't have much time to really get to know Grace, other than her having an extended family (being of Chinese-descent in Manila isn't really an issue) who rally to her. I did quite enjoy this though:
And you thought women just waited to be rescued!
The truth is, you being to suspect, a woman will go through great lengths designing the rescue, and then hurry back to the place of distress where she will recline and pine, and wait for the man she has chosen to act out the rescue. Then she will gloat and tell all her friends about it. The man, clueless on all the unseen workings, will then appear extremely pleased with himself and feel entitled to act it out again - on someone else. This is not a very nice thought to keep replaying in your head, especially when you have just been asked to be a bridesmaid at your cousin's wedding.
It's a lot of telling, not showing.
April 2, 2018
The writing was so so good. It's the first time I've read something 2nd person POV and I thought it worked so well. This is not a romance, but I enjoyed it anyway. Though I did find myself shaking Grace a lot given some of her life choices. Relatable, yes, but also not the kind of decisions I'd prefer my MCs to make, if that makes sense.
July 3, 2017
Tara Sering is a genius for being the first or at least one of the firsts to use 2nd person POV in a chick lit novel. This perspective emphasizes and proves the connection between the chick lit genre and self-help books.
July 9, 2010
Original post at One More Page
The thing with Summit chick lit books is they seem to be too thin for a Php 150 priced novel. That's why I hesitate buying them because I feel like they're a bit too expensive for such a quick (albeit enjoyable) read. So when I spotted Anvil Publishing's reprinting of Asian chic lit by Filipina authors from Singapore in National Bookstore, I was curious! Here are some thicker chick lit books at the same price.
The next question is: are they any good?
I finished reading Tara FT Sering's Amazing Grace this week, and I can answer 1/3 of that question (since there are three Asian chic novels out as of now): it's very good.
Amazing Grace is the story of Grace Chua, a 26-year-old Filipina-Chinese single woman who has been egged on by her friends and family to find a man and settle down before her biological clock stops ticking. Grace realizes that, and she allows herself to be set up for blind dates. However, none of the guys were deemed worthy, until guy #7, her Valentine's Day date, Mike. She and Mike clicked, and after two years, he proposes to her. It would have been perfect if Mike hadn't gave her the next bit of news: he got a job in Singapore and will have to move there for two years for his contract.
Grace was determined to make the long distance relationship work -- after all, they were engaged, and there's no way she's letting go of that! -- but things become complicated when Mike seems to have less and less time for her, and he always seemed to mention a woman named Kaela in their conversations. Grace goes to Singapore on a weekend to surprise him, and finds herself in a race around three countries, all in an effort to get her man back.
Amazing Grace was unlike all chick lit I have read so far, and it was mainly because of the second person POV used in the story. Second person makes use of the pronoun "you", making it seem like the reader is also the main character in the story. I've managed to write one second person POV story, and I am not even sure if I did it right. From NaNoWriMo research, I've learned that its best to avoid writing in second person POV because it almost never works properly. For this novel, however, I think it really works. The POV effectively puts the reader in Grace's place, but still maintaining enough character to distinguish Grace from the reader.
Grace is a quirky, relatable character. I loved being in her shoes, I loved reading her thoughts, I love her reactions to the situations she was in. It was easy to sympathize with her and that may be because I was in her shoes as I read it, but I also felt her pain when she found out about Mike. Grace is not exactly a woman scorned, but there was a sense of desperation in her that made her want to save the relationship even if her sister says to let him go. Her growth in the story was believable in the sense that there wasn't really much drama over her epiphany. More often than not, there isn't much grandeur whenever we reach a certain point or realize an important thing in our lives; it usually comes quietly. The same thing happened to Grace, although unlike others, she found herself in a hilarious situation. What is that exactly? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out. :)
Other than the effective second person POV, there were a lot of fun sequences in the story, all in respect to the humor of chick lit. There were the good life lessons, too -- lessons that a single woman would definitely find useful. :) I'd also like to praise the epilogue of the novel -- it had me chuckling all the way to the end. :)
Amazing Grace is a fun read, and it is worth the Php 150 I paid for. If you enjoy chick lit, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one too. :)
The thing with Summit chick lit books is they seem to be too thin for a Php 150 priced novel. That's why I hesitate buying them because I feel like they're a bit too expensive for such a quick (albeit enjoyable) read. So when I spotted Anvil Publishing's reprinting of Asian chic lit by Filipina authors from Singapore in National Bookstore, I was curious! Here are some thicker chick lit books at the same price.
The next question is: are they any good?
I finished reading Tara FT Sering's Amazing Grace this week, and I can answer 1/3 of that question (since there are three Asian chic novels out as of now): it's very good.
Amazing Grace is the story of Grace Chua, a 26-year-old Filipina-Chinese single woman who has been egged on by her friends and family to find a man and settle down before her biological clock stops ticking. Grace realizes that, and she allows herself to be set up for blind dates. However, none of the guys were deemed worthy, until guy #7, her Valentine's Day date, Mike. She and Mike clicked, and after two years, he proposes to her. It would have been perfect if Mike hadn't gave her the next bit of news: he got a job in Singapore and will have to move there for two years for his contract.
Grace was determined to make the long distance relationship work -- after all, they were engaged, and there's no way she's letting go of that! -- but things become complicated when Mike seems to have less and less time for her, and he always seemed to mention a woman named Kaela in their conversations. Grace goes to Singapore on a weekend to surprise him, and finds herself in a race around three countries, all in an effort to get her man back.
Amazing Grace was unlike all chick lit I have read so far, and it was mainly because of the second person POV used in the story. Second person makes use of the pronoun "you", making it seem like the reader is also the main character in the story. I've managed to write one second person POV story, and I am not even sure if I did it right. From NaNoWriMo research, I've learned that its best to avoid writing in second person POV because it almost never works properly. For this novel, however, I think it really works. The POV effectively puts the reader in Grace's place, but still maintaining enough character to distinguish Grace from the reader.
Grace is a quirky, relatable character. I loved being in her shoes, I loved reading her thoughts, I love her reactions to the situations she was in. It was easy to sympathize with her and that may be because I was in her shoes as I read it, but I also felt her pain when she found out about Mike. Grace is not exactly a woman scorned, but there was a sense of desperation in her that made her want to save the relationship even if her sister says to let him go. Her growth in the story was believable in the sense that there wasn't really much drama over her epiphany. More often than not, there isn't much grandeur whenever we reach a certain point or realize an important thing in our lives; it usually comes quietly. The same thing happened to Grace, although unlike others, she found herself in a hilarious situation. What is that exactly? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out. :)
Other than the effective second person POV, there were a lot of fun sequences in the story, all in respect to the humor of chick lit. There were the good life lessons, too -- lessons that a single woman would definitely find useful. :) I'd also like to praise the epilogue of the novel -- it had me chuckling all the way to the end. :)
Amazing Grace is a fun read, and it is worth the Php 150 I paid for. If you enjoy chick lit, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one too. :)
September 14, 2009
I guess it’s kind of true, that it’s almost very easy for a person to lose themselves in a relationship. In this Asian-chic novel written by Tara FT Sering, you will find just that problem being dealt by the main character, Grace.
The story unfolds with her finding herself in search of a higher purpose in life… which of course is, mating. Getting officially married, reproduce, settle down and live happily ever after. Or so she thought that the process will go on that rightful order. In real life apparently, it’s not as simple as the ABC's that she taught her class in the kindergarten where she works.
So, after series of odd-coupling, weird set-up blind dates that she has to endure, she finally found THE ONE’s most likely traits in Michael Joseph Martinez a.k.a Mike. Now here is actually where it all really begins… After a couple of months dating each other and one unusual marriage proposal from Mike, Grace starting to see her life ahead of her in clearer view.
But, the s*** hits the fan, when Mike told her that he’s moving to Singapore to comply a better job offering, shortly after he proposed. Not asking her to come along…
+++
Basically, this story tells the trials and tribulations of a mid-20 year old woman with a strong Chinese-Filipino background in winning her –supposedly- perfect man back from doubts, possible cold-feet syndrome and one tall blonde ex-girlfriend who happens to be Mike’s first love.
All in all, I think it’s a good read. Even though the plot is pretty simple and has been used A LOT in chick-lit books all across the globe, but I truly enjoy Tara’s witty writing… Some of her punch-lines are just totally hilarious! I like the character of Grace’s sister, Lena, and her erratic friend, Han, that accompanies Grace throughout her ‘journey’.
Random fact: As I was reading this book, I listened to a song called ‘Train Song’ (originally by Vashti Bunyan, but was covered by Feist and Ben Gibbard of ‘Death Cab for Cutie’) that pretty much have the same feel to the story’s plot… in a more somber, morose way though.
The story unfolds with her finding herself in search of a higher purpose in life… which of course is, mating. Getting officially married, reproduce, settle down and live happily ever after. Or so she thought that the process will go on that rightful order. In real life apparently, it’s not as simple as the ABC's that she taught her class in the kindergarten where she works.
So, after series of odd-coupling, weird set-up blind dates that she has to endure, she finally found THE ONE’s most likely traits in Michael Joseph Martinez a.k.a Mike. Now here is actually where it all really begins… After a couple of months dating each other and one unusual marriage proposal from Mike, Grace starting to see her life ahead of her in clearer view.
But, the s*** hits the fan, when Mike told her that he’s moving to Singapore to comply a better job offering, shortly after he proposed. Not asking her to come along…
+++
Basically, this story tells the trials and tribulations of a mid-20 year old woman with a strong Chinese-Filipino background in winning her –supposedly- perfect man back from doubts, possible cold-feet syndrome and one tall blonde ex-girlfriend who happens to be Mike’s first love.
All in all, I think it’s a good read. Even though the plot is pretty simple and has been used A LOT in chick-lit books all across the globe, but I truly enjoy Tara’s witty writing… Some of her punch-lines are just totally hilarious! I like the character of Grace’s sister, Lena, and her erratic friend, Han, that accompanies Grace throughout her ‘journey’.
Random fact: As I was reading this book, I listened to a song called ‘Train Song’ (originally by Vashti Bunyan, but was covered by Feist and Ben Gibbard of ‘Death Cab for Cutie’) that pretty much have the same feel to the story’s plot… in a more somber, morose way though.
January 26, 2011
Okay, the book was written in the second-person point of view, which makes me feel like I'm reading those Choose Your Own Adventure novels from way back, although this adventure has already been chosen and the ending is set. I honestly am not a big fan of this type of narrative, so I got annoyed more at some bits of the story.
True, I could relate to the character on most parts [the getting pressured to get married, settle down and have kids, having a successful career, among others], but I would probably never even consider running after someone in order to save a future that I so planned in my head. What happens, happens, and the time, effort, and resources it would take for me to undergo such a journey that Grace did would be unfathomable, and bordering on insanity [at least for me]. So yeah, to each their own. I dunno if I enjoyed reading the Grace's story, but the places and sights featured in the story piqued my interest, and yes, the descriptions of the places are indeed detailed and updated. It's either the author researched on the countries well or has been to the places too.
Okay, what I did like about the story - it was by a Filipino author, and I *think* I've read a chick lit of hers way back in college, but I don't remember now. It was quite nice that this book was first published abroad before it was picked up in the PH to be published. It's also one of the few Filipino books that I could easily recognize and can be seen in the shelves of the major bookstores. The cover is excellent - it's cute, and the accents in the pages: the airplane and what I suppose is Grace in the odd pages, is an excellent touch. The paper used in the book, I'm not a big fan of.
What else can I say? The book certainly lacked the goosepimply, awww moments that I was looking for in chick lit books. Maybe I was wrong in thinking this was chick lit, I don't know, maybe it was just plain literature? I was not really happy as I was reading the book and it took me quite some time to finish it.
True, I could relate to the character on most parts [the getting pressured to get married, settle down and have kids, having a successful career, among others], but I would probably never even consider running after someone in order to save a future that I so planned in my head. What happens, happens, and the time, effort, and resources it would take for me to undergo such a journey that Grace did would be unfathomable, and bordering on insanity [at least for me]. So yeah, to each their own. I dunno if I enjoyed reading the Grace's story, but the places and sights featured in the story piqued my interest, and yes, the descriptions of the places are indeed detailed and updated. It's either the author researched on the countries well or has been to the places too.
Okay, what I did like about the story - it was by a Filipino author, and I *think* I've read a chick lit of hers way back in college, but I don't remember now. It was quite nice that this book was first published abroad before it was picked up in the PH to be published. It's also one of the few Filipino books that I could easily recognize and can be seen in the shelves of the major bookstores. The cover is excellent - it's cute, and the accents in the pages: the airplane and what I suppose is Grace in the odd pages, is an excellent touch. The paper used in the book, I'm not a big fan of.
What else can I say? The book certainly lacked the goosepimply, awww moments that I was looking for in chick lit books. Maybe I was wrong in thinking this was chick lit, I don't know, maybe it was just plain literature? I was not really happy as I was reading the book and it took me quite some time to finish it.
August 13, 2011
When I first saw the book, I was a little put off by the title. I've seen around five jeepneys that sported those two words in the spirit of lighthearted comedy, or should I say puns, and the cover was obviously drawn to draw the attention of the female populace. I don't have a uterus or a jeepney, but when I realized the author was Tara FT Sering whom I've worked with, for a lack of a better term, when I was contributing for supreme.ph in its early days, my curiosity got the better of me and I purchased a copy with the ferocity of a rabid fan.
I regret nothing and that's saying the very least. I loved how Sering takes you from one Asian country to the next, deep into the heart of the story itself, with characters that will remind you of your own set of funny and mischievous acquaintances. Although I wasn't Chinese, or a woman, the book's overall plot was a welcomed respite from all the fantastical stories I've been surrounding myself with. Basically, a coming of age story, Amazing Grace is as witty as it is smart and fulfilling. Five stars for the ingenious writing style.
I regret nothing and that's saying the very least. I loved how Sering takes you from one Asian country to the next, deep into the heart of the story itself, with characters that will remind you of your own set of funny and mischievous acquaintances. Although I wasn't Chinese, or a woman, the book's overall plot was a welcomed respite from all the fantastical stories I've been surrounding myself with. Basically, a coming of age story, Amazing Grace is as witty as it is smart and fulfilling. Five stars for the ingenious writing style.
October 15, 2011
reviewed at Mama Kucing Meow : Amazing Grace by Tara FT Sering
Haven't found what is so amazing about this book yet
Haven't found what is so amazing about this book yet
September 17, 2012
It was a good relaxing read..the characters were funny and entertaining :)
January 9, 2013
Chick-lit but not too heavy on the drama, with a tongue-in-cheek vibe. Follows the Filipino narrator as she chases her fiance to Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong. Fun read!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews