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The Mystery of Grace
On the Day of the Dead, the Solona Music Hall is jumping. That's where Altagracia Quintero meets John Burns, just two weeks too late.
Altagracia – her friends call her Grace – has a tattoo of Nuestra Señora de Altagracia on her shoulder, she's got a Ford Motor Company tattoo running down her leg, and she has grease worked so deep into her hands that it'll never wash out. Grace works at Sanchez Motorworks, customizing hot rods. Finding the line in a classic car is her calling.
Now Grace has to find the line in her own life. A few blocks around the Alverson Arms is all her world -- from the little grocery store where she buys beans, tamales, and cigarettes (“cigarettes can kill you,” they tell her, but she smokes them anyway) to the record shop, to the library where Henry, a black man confined to a wheelchair, researches the mystery of life in death – but she’s got unfinished business keeping her close to home.
Grace loves John, and John loves her, and that would be wonderful, except that John, like Grace, has unfinished business – he’s haunted by the childhood death of his younger brother. He's never stopped feeling responsible. Like Grace in her way, John is an artist, and before their relationship can find its resolution, the two of them will have to teach each other about life and love, about hot rods and Elvis Presley, and about why it's necessary to let some things go.
Altagracia – her friends call her Grace – has a tattoo of Nuestra Señora de Altagracia on her shoulder, she's got a Ford Motor Company tattoo running down her leg, and she has grease worked so deep into her hands that it'll never wash out. Grace works at Sanchez Motorworks, customizing hot rods. Finding the line in a classic car is her calling.
Now Grace has to find the line in her own life. A few blocks around the Alverson Arms is all her world -- from the little grocery store where she buys beans, tamales, and cigarettes (“cigarettes can kill you,” they tell her, but she smokes them anyway) to the record shop, to the library where Henry, a black man confined to a wheelchair, researches the mystery of life in death – but she’s got unfinished business keeping her close to home.
Grace loves John, and John loves her, and that would be wonderful, except that John, like Grace, has unfinished business – he’s haunted by the childhood death of his younger brother. He's never stopped feeling responsible. Like Grace in her way, John is an artist, and before their relationship can find its resolution, the two of them will have to teach each other about life and love, about hot rods and Elvis Presley, and about why it's necessary to let some things go.
269 pages, Hardcover
First published March 17, 2009
43 people are currently reading
1542 people want to read
About the author
Charles de Lint
446 books3,993 followersCharles de Lint is the much beloved author of more than seventy adult, young adult, and children's books. Renowned as one of the trailblazers of the modern fantasy genre, he is the recipient of the World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, and White Pine awards, among others. Modern Library's Top 100 Books of the 20th Century poll, conducted by Random House and voted on by readers, put eight of de Lint's books among the top 100.
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 388 reviews
June 16, 2013
**Some mild spoilers ahead**
On the front of this novel, Alice Hoffman is quoted as saying “No one does it better.” That’s not true. A lot of people do it better. Alice Hoffman, for example. Or Robin McKinley. Or Neil Gaiman.
Altagracia "Grace" Quintero is a self-described gearhead covered head to toe in tattoos, and she gets pissed when people judge her for her ink instead of her character. She loves classic hot rods (which she rebuilds), rockabilly and surf guitar, and Ford Motor Company (and she's a bad MoFo with a FoMoCo tattoo running down her leg to prove it). It's not important that you remember any of these things because she'll repeat them, over and over again. Oh, but other than her referring to her grandfather as "abuelo", you will have to remember that she's Mexican-American, which begs the question as to why this was important, unless it's so that de Lint can show off his limited and stereotyped surface knowledge of Mexican culture and the American Southwest. He must have watched a special on the Travel Channel.
Grace has just met the man of her dreams--John. Sure, he's pretty straight-laced and doesn't have any ink, but what he lacks in body art, he more than makes up for in . . . well, I'm not sure. It's just one of those "eyes locked across the crowded room" scenarios that leads to them going to bed together. But here's the problem for Grace: she's dead. Yup, kicked the bucket, pushing up daisies, groundhogs are bringing her mail, she has shuffled off this mortal coil. She's only allowed two passes back to the real world each year (Halloween and May's Eve) and, wouldn't you know it?, she doesn't meet her true love until she's all corpsified. Ain’t death a bitch? The rest of the novel is about these existence-crossed lovers trying to figure out how to be together. John, as he waits for the months to pass by, develops a stalkerish interest in—you guessed it—classic hot rods, rockabilly and surf guitar, and FoMoCo. Grace, as she waits, decides to rebuild a car in the afterlife. The afterlife Grace finds herself in isn’t heaven or hell, but seems to be a purgatory where people who die within the area in which Grace lived cross over, along with the building in which they died. So the landscape is constantly shifting, but everything else is pretty much just like life. The dead play cards, read books from the local library, listen to music at the local record shop, and basically wait for their two “get out of jail free” passes back to earth.
So what was my problem with this novel? Oh, there were so many. Weak characterization; long, tedious passages (the afterlife has never been so boring); conversations that offer shortcuts to exposition; and the fact that the last 1/3 seems to belong to a totally different novel. Some plotlines are just dropped altogether (for example, John just disappears off the page part of the way through the book after de Lint has spent so much time developing this relationship upon which the entire plot seems to hinge). This may be my first and last de Lint novel as I have the sneaking suspicion that the best thing about his novels is the cover art.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
On the front of this novel, Alice Hoffman is quoted as saying “No one does it better.” That’s not true. A lot of people do it better. Alice Hoffman, for example. Or Robin McKinley. Or Neil Gaiman.
Altagracia "Grace" Quintero is a self-described gearhead covered head to toe in tattoos, and she gets pissed when people judge her for her ink instead of her character. She loves classic hot rods (which she rebuilds), rockabilly and surf guitar, and Ford Motor Company (and she's a bad MoFo with a FoMoCo tattoo running down her leg to prove it). It's not important that you remember any of these things because she'll repeat them, over and over again. Oh, but other than her referring to her grandfather as "abuelo", you will have to remember that she's Mexican-American, which begs the question as to why this was important, unless it's so that de Lint can show off his limited and stereotyped surface knowledge of Mexican culture and the American Southwest. He must have watched a special on the Travel Channel.
Grace has just met the man of her dreams--John. Sure, he's pretty straight-laced and doesn't have any ink, but what he lacks in body art, he more than makes up for in . . . well, I'm not sure. It's just one of those "eyes locked across the crowded room" scenarios that leads to them going to bed together. But here's the problem for Grace: she's dead. Yup, kicked the bucket, pushing up daisies, groundhogs are bringing her mail, she has shuffled off this mortal coil. She's only allowed two passes back to the real world each year (Halloween and May's Eve) and, wouldn't you know it?, she doesn't meet her true love until she's all corpsified. Ain’t death a bitch? The rest of the novel is about these existence-crossed lovers trying to figure out how to be together. John, as he waits for the months to pass by, develops a stalkerish interest in—you guessed it—classic hot rods, rockabilly and surf guitar, and FoMoCo. Grace, as she waits, decides to rebuild a car in the afterlife. The afterlife Grace finds herself in isn’t heaven or hell, but seems to be a purgatory where people who die within the area in which Grace lived cross over, along with the building in which they died. So the landscape is constantly shifting, but everything else is pretty much just like life. The dead play cards, read books from the local library, listen to music at the local record shop, and basically wait for their two “get out of jail free” passes back to earth.
So what was my problem with this novel? Oh, there were so many. Weak characterization; long, tedious passages (the afterlife has never been so boring); conversations that offer shortcuts to exposition; and the fact that the last 1/3 seems to belong to a totally different novel. Some plotlines are just dropped altogether (for example, John just disappears off the page part of the way through the book after de Lint has spent so much time developing this relationship upon which the entire plot seems to hinge). This may be my first and last de Lint novel as I have the sneaking suspicion that the best thing about his novels is the cover art.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
December 23, 2010
When Grace and John meet at a bar on Halloween, the attraction between the two is undeniable. Everything is going well, until the morning after Grace mysteriously vanishes from John's apartment after John confesses he feels responsible for the death of his brother.
That's the hook for Charles De Lint's latest fantasy novel, "The Mystery of Grace." The novel is one part love story, one part fantasy story and one part fairy tale.
The romantic coupling of Grace and John has some problems before it. For one thing, they met two weeks two late. And not just in that typical romantic comedy, oh I'm with someone else now two weeks too late. Two weeks too late because Grace was killed in a convience store robbery two weeks before. She's stuck in a limbo world based around several blocks of the town she lived in before her death. She can revisit our world two times a year--Halloween and another day in early May. Grace has just come back when she meets John. The connection between the two is nearly instantaneous and helps propel the story for the rest of the book.
De Lint focuses on each character separately in alternating sections. De Lint goes back, filling in the details of John and Grace before they met and then moving the story forward after they meet and how the two work to overcome the obstacles before them. Along the way, we meet a wide variety of other, fascinating characters including one man on the ghostly side of things who is obsessed with finding out why he and other spirits are trapped in a couple of blocks of the small town. Why haven't they go on to the "other side" or wherever it is that people go after death. Eventually, Grace begins to question things and figures out what is holding her back from crossing to the next stage in her life.
"The Mystery of Grace" has elements of a lot of different types of stories, all woven together around the central characters of Grace and John. The novel is one that is full of magic, heartache and fascinating characters.
One of the best novels I've read all year.
That's the hook for Charles De Lint's latest fantasy novel, "The Mystery of Grace." The novel is one part love story, one part fantasy story and one part fairy tale.
The romantic coupling of Grace and John has some problems before it. For one thing, they met two weeks two late. And not just in that typical romantic comedy, oh I'm with someone else now two weeks too late. Two weeks too late because Grace was killed in a convience store robbery two weeks before. She's stuck in a limbo world based around several blocks of the town she lived in before her death. She can revisit our world two times a year--Halloween and another day in early May. Grace has just come back when she meets John. The connection between the two is nearly instantaneous and helps propel the story for the rest of the book.
De Lint focuses on each character separately in alternating sections. De Lint goes back, filling in the details of John and Grace before they met and then moving the story forward after they meet and how the two work to overcome the obstacles before them. Along the way, we meet a wide variety of other, fascinating characters including one man on the ghostly side of things who is obsessed with finding out why he and other spirits are trapped in a couple of blocks of the small town. Why haven't they go on to the "other side" or wherever it is that people go after death. Eventually, Grace begins to question things and figures out what is holding her back from crossing to the next stage in her life.
"The Mystery of Grace" has elements of a lot of different types of stories, all woven together around the central characters of Grace and John. The novel is one that is full of magic, heartache and fascinating characters.
One of the best novels I've read all year.
September 17, 2011
Three and a half stars, rounding up.
Very nicely woven book. I always love de Lint's use of language and description, but he keeps his focus on the plot and character relationship here more than getting lost in the setting. The characters, Grace and John, became very real, and the side characters interesting. One of the most fascinating things about the book was that the setting for the afterlife became more real than the "real world" at times. I enjoyed the process of Grace gradually caring more and more about how this afterlife came to be and solving the mystery behind it. There's flashes of humor, lightning a potentially somber mood, and I appreciate the inclusion of a lot of diversity in characters--at times it can be hard to find fantasy that isn't about blond, blue-eyed women.
If I have any complaint, it's that the emphasis on hot-rods and surfer music became very repetitive, and I felt like the adjectives didn't change much. Gradually we did learn more about Grace and John, but for a man who consulted experts on both hot-rods and surfer music, I didn't believe where the love was coming from.
Having a police officer become involved in the last section was a jarring note in the story.
Aside from that, the story was unique, the relationships nicely and interestingly developed, both in the real world and the afterlife. Interesting musing on meaning and existence.
Very nicely woven book. I always love de Lint's use of language and description, but he keeps his focus on the plot and character relationship here more than getting lost in the setting. The characters, Grace and John, became very real, and the side characters interesting. One of the most fascinating things about the book was that the setting for the afterlife became more real than the "real world" at times. I enjoyed the process of Grace gradually caring more and more about how this afterlife came to be and solving the mystery behind it. There's flashes of humor, lightning a potentially somber mood, and I appreciate the inclusion of a lot of diversity in characters--at times it can be hard to find fantasy that isn't about blond, blue-eyed women.
If I have any complaint, it's that the emphasis on hot-rods and surfer music became very repetitive, and I felt like the adjectives didn't change much. Gradually we did learn more about Grace and John, but for a man who consulted experts on both hot-rods and surfer music, I didn't believe where the love was coming from.
Having a police officer become involved in the last section was a jarring note in the story.
Aside from that, the story was unique, the relationships nicely and interestingly developed, both in the real world and the afterlife. Interesting musing on meaning and existence.
January 5, 2021
This was an enjoyable fantasy novel about, love, life, and the afterlife. The opening chapter is quite brilliant and draws you into this intriguing world. John and Grace have spent the night together in his bed. She gets up, goes to the bathroom and then disappears. The story jumps between John and Grace and it turns out I liked the main characters and the people around them and the plot is certainly interesting. I found the resolution to be a little disappointing and . It would also be nice to know what happened next! This was my first book by Charles de Lint, I’ll be looking forward to reading some more of his fantasy.
January 18, 2021
This is a reread for me and I am upping the rating from 4 stars to 5. The first time around which was 9 years ago, I liked it a lot, but not as much as the other De Lint books I read. It's quite different in that there are no faeries, animal people. Knowing this this time around I could better appreciate the story for what it is. And it's a compelling and deeply moving story. The spoiler free description is already on the cover, so I'm not going to add anymore except to say this is a wonderful novel that I highly recommend!
March 16, 2009
The Mystery of Grace is a perfect de Lint novel. It has fully fleshed out characters I really cared about, the author's familiar treatment of spirit worlds and the ordinary people who encounter them, and the easy-going voice I've come to love over the years.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who hasn't yet read a de Lint novel. It does differ from his others in that the spirit world in this book is a limbo where people are trapped after they die. There aren't any of his usual fairies or dream boyfriends, but the heart and style are de Lint at his best.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who hasn't yet read a de Lint novel. It does differ from his others in that the spirit world in this book is a limbo where people are trapped after they die. There aren't any of his usual fairies or dream boyfriends, but the heart and style are de Lint at his best.
August 5, 2022
This is a repeat re-read of a favourite book by a favourite author: Honestly, I have always loved anything produced by De Lint, but in The Mystery of Grace his unique, delicately crafted writing reached new heights to my mind.
Part of the strong impact this book delivers is due to the just from the first chapter to the next, the sequence is so powerful it is kind of worth reading this book - as I did - without knowing where that first chapter comes from.
The character of Grace is a natural continuation from some other characters De Lint has written in my opinion, but like the story as a whole, it is a more mature stronger character and it is a standalone, no sites or characters from other De Lint novels. I loved Grace, with her hard, level
headedness but realistically human attributes, she was the perfect vehicle for this story, in which she dies to wake up in an isolated afterlife with a set number of inhabitants, no explanations and no end in sight. Grace is a mechanic who restores vintage cars (a bit of theme for several fantasy/ magic realism books for a few years there), she likes her life of vintage cars, tattoos and some type of music I had never heard of. It is a lifestyle that was as alien to me as if it was set in outer space, but I really enjoyed the way it seemed to hang together.
Anyone dying within a certain radius of Grace's apartment block, wakes up in this limbo land and Grace has time to reflect on her life, restore an old car and learn some interesting facts about what dead people can get up to on Halloween.
Thoroughly recommended to lovers of magic realism, fantasy and similar.
Part of the strong impact this book delivers is due to the just from the first chapter to the next, the sequence is so powerful it is kind of worth reading this book - as I did - without knowing where that first chapter comes from.
The character of Grace is a natural continuation from some other characters De Lint has written in my opinion, but like the story as a whole, it is a more mature stronger character and it is a standalone, no sites or characters from other De Lint novels. I loved Grace, with her hard, level
headedness but realistically human attributes, she was the perfect vehicle for this story, in which she dies to wake up in an isolated afterlife with a set number of inhabitants, no explanations and no end in sight. Grace is a mechanic who restores vintage cars (a bit of theme for several fantasy/ magic realism books for a few years there), she likes her life of vintage cars, tattoos and some type of music I had never heard of. It is a lifestyle that was as alien to me as if it was set in outer space, but I really enjoyed the way it seemed to hang together.
Anyone dying within a certain radius of Grace's apartment block, wakes up in this limbo land and Grace has time to reflect on her life, restore an old car and learn some interesting facts about what dead people can get up to on Halloween.
Thoroughly recommended to lovers of magic realism, fantasy and similar.
April 25, 2009
This book is typical of all of DeLint's work, in my opinion: great plot, pedestrian writing laden with stereotypes and cliches.
Tattooed gearhead hottie Grace is gunned down in a bodega and wakes up in a gray-lit version of her old 'hood. She comes to realize this limbo is the creation of a bruja who is keeping souls there for her own selfish purposes. Grace must find a way to defeat the witch, but matters are complicated when she falls head over heels for a man who's still in the land of the living.
Engaging, interesting, well paced plot. But DeLint's writing, while technically fine, is among the most tedious in the world. The man seems to go out of his way to be boring in his word choice, and his characters' dialogue is cliched and unspontaneous. His characters consistently state the obvious, just in case the reader isn't smart enough to understand up what's happening from the surrounding prose. I keep picking up DeLint's work because of the cool sounding plots and the pretty covers. But I continue to be disappointed every time.
Tattooed gearhead hottie Grace is gunned down in a bodega and wakes up in a gray-lit version of her old 'hood. She comes to realize this limbo is the creation of a bruja who is keeping souls there for her own selfish purposes. Grace must find a way to defeat the witch, but matters are complicated when she falls head over heels for a man who's still in the land of the living.
Engaging, interesting, well paced plot. But DeLint's writing, while technically fine, is among the most tedious in the world. The man seems to go out of his way to be boring in his word choice, and his characters' dialogue is cliched and unspontaneous. His characters consistently state the obvious, just in case the reader isn't smart enough to understand up what's happening from the surrounding prose. I keep picking up DeLint's work because of the cool sounding plots and the pretty covers. But I continue to be disappointed every time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2024
Initially after finishing this, I gave it three stars because it was just kinda fine.
But then I thought about it for a few minutes and I realized this book is actually not good, and I would defend it being not good, and I don't have positives for it in particular, besides the basic concept.
First of all, the last third of the book is just a complete swerve from the first two thirds. Not in an organic way, in a way where someone like gave their friend 65% of a draft and said "finish this for me".
The characters were very repetitive, the main character likes CARS and she HAS TATTOOS and she likes ROCKABILLY, ya know? Oh, also, the commentary on tattoos is incredibly out of touch in this novel, definitely written by an old man.
At the end of the book, the main character comes to all sorts of important revelations that weren't earned through the narrative and happen because other random characters have more insight into this character than she does herself.
Just a shame following up Memory & Dream with this one.
But then I thought about it for a few minutes and I realized this book is actually not good, and I would defend it being not good, and I don't have positives for it in particular, besides the basic concept.
First of all, the last third of the book is just a complete swerve from the first two thirds. Not in an organic way, in a way where someone like gave their friend 65% of a draft and said "finish this for me".
The characters were very repetitive, the main character likes CARS and she HAS TATTOOS and she likes ROCKABILLY, ya know? Oh, also, the commentary on tattoos is incredibly out of touch in this novel, definitely written by an old man.
At the end of the book, the main character comes to all sorts of important revelations that weren't earned through the narrative and happen because other random characters have more insight into this character than she does herself.
Just a shame following up Memory & Dream with this one.
May 25, 2009
Charles de Lint is my favorite author. Period. So I grabbed this without even looking at the bookflap and just plunged in. Do yourself a favor and do the same thing. Without knowing anything about the book, the prologue is one of the best hooks I've read in a long time. But you can't know anything about the story beforehand. But, man, what a hook!
One of the things I love about de Lint is how his characters always have faith in something bigger than themselves, but that faith doesn't necessarily take the form of organized religion. He incorporates the best elements from many different religions and mythologies to build a story that most people can relate to. This book has a great love story, but the point is really to explore faith, grace, and having the courage to let go.
The biggest thing that I love about de Lint is his characters. Within a few pages, his characters feel like old friends. Grace is no exception. Tough, tattoo-covered, hot-rod building Grace is easy to pigeonhole. But there are many surprising sides to her personality, and she quickly became a character I won't forget. But what makes his characters stand out to me are the way they interact with each other and the world. They usually have some of their own serious issues, but they also generally seem to believe that, while they might not be able to single-handedly change the world, they can change their parts of it. They live to try to ease the way for others they encounter. They understand that life is hard enough without people beating each other down. We should build each other up. De Lint got all of that into this book too.
Most of my favorite books by this author are set in the fictional city of Newford, with some recurring characters throughout. I was initially a little disappointed that this wasn't a Newford book, and that I wouldn't get to check in on Jilly and Geordie and friends, but I quickly got over that. This still wasn't my very favorite book of his, but this was definitely one of my favorites.
In all honestly, the story was probably 4 stars. But the ideas behind the book are 5 stars. I love this guy, I loved this book, and I can't recommend either highly enough.
One of the things I love about de Lint is how his characters always have faith in something bigger than themselves, but that faith doesn't necessarily take the form of organized religion. He incorporates the best elements from many different religions and mythologies to build a story that most people can relate to. This book has a great love story, but the point is really to explore faith, grace, and having the courage to let go.
The biggest thing that I love about de Lint is his characters. Within a few pages, his characters feel like old friends. Grace is no exception. Tough, tattoo-covered, hot-rod building Grace is easy to pigeonhole. But there are many surprising sides to her personality, and she quickly became a character I won't forget. But what makes his characters stand out to me are the way they interact with each other and the world. They usually have some of their own serious issues, but they also generally seem to believe that, while they might not be able to single-handedly change the world, they can change their parts of it. They live to try to ease the way for others they encounter. They understand that life is hard enough without people beating each other down. We should build each other up. De Lint got all of that into this book too.
Most of my favorite books by this author are set in the fictional city of Newford, with some recurring characters throughout. I was initially a little disappointed that this wasn't a Newford book, and that I wouldn't get to check in on Jilly and Geordie and friends, but I quickly got over that. This still wasn't my very favorite book of his, but this was definitely one of my favorites.
In all honestly, the story was probably 4 stars. But the ideas behind the book are 5 stars. I love this guy, I loved this book, and I can't recommend either highly enough.
July 29, 2010
My favorite TV show when I was a little girl was "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". I loved the story of a romance between a widow and the ghost who occupies the house she moves into. The Mystery of Grace gave me the same feeling I got from that old TV show. It's beautiful and poignant. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away.
The Mystery of Grace is different from the other Charles de Lint novels I've read. It's much more introspective and romantic. I will warn you that the ending is ambiguous, but I like ambiguous endings.
The audio production was good. The woman who read Grace's POV chapters was excellent, even if some of her Spanish pronunciation was off. The man who read John's chapters was okay, but not great.
The Mystery of Grace is different from the other Charles de Lint novels I've read. It's much more introspective and romantic. I will warn you that the ending is ambiguous, but I like ambiguous endings.
The audio production was good. The woman who read Grace's POV chapters was excellent, even if some of her Spanish pronunciation was off. The man who read John's chapters was okay, but not great.
May 31, 2011
I certainly didn't intend to finish this novel in one day, but I did.
There are so many elements to this novel - a love story, life after death, sacrifice, moving on, purgatorial aspects - all combined in a story that moves you in many parts. The spiritual side of it mixes a bunch of different beliefs from Wikka, voodoo or something like it, Catholicism, etc - but this blending shores up the story and brings you along. You certainly come to care for the characters who while flawed are moving in heroic directions knowing that there efforts could be all for nothing.
I just loved this novel which was recommended to me by "A good story is hard to find" podcast. Well they seem to find good stories and have not been disappointed by any of their recommendations.
There are so many elements to this novel - a love story, life after death, sacrifice, moving on, purgatorial aspects - all combined in a story that moves you in many parts. The spiritual side of it mixes a bunch of different beliefs from Wikka, voodoo or something like it, Catholicism, etc - but this blending shores up the story and brings you along. You certainly come to care for the characters who while flawed are moving in heroic directions knowing that there efforts could be all for nothing.
I just loved this novel which was recommended to me by "A good story is hard to find" podcast. Well they seem to find good stories and have not been disappointed by any of their recommendations.
June 24, 2009
An unexpectedly fine story. My favorite part comes towards the end of the book: Every time we make something out of nithing, that's an act of magic. I doesn't matter if it's a painting or a garden, or an abuelo telling his grandchildren some tall tale. every time we fix something that's broken, whether it's a car enghine or a broken heart, that an act of magic. And what makes it magic is that we choose to create or help, just as we can choose to harm...If we can only remember what we are and what we can do, nobody can bind us or control us.
April 17, 2009
When John meets Grace he knows there is something unusual about her but he is falling in love with her two weeks too late.
Grace is an unusual woman. Not because of the tattoos, or because of her job as at Sanchez Motor work where she restores and customizes old cars. No, Grace is dead. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time - the corner shop when a kid decided to rob it.
But instead of passing on, Grace wakes up in her own apartment in a realm occupied by the dead of her neighbourhood. She soon learns the inhabitants can cross back into the world for a night on Hallowe’en and May Eve.
Both John and Grace have problems that need to be fixed. After meeting John, Grace is determined to solve the mystery of the realm she inhabits, and John needs to come to terms with his brother’s death years earlier. With the help of each other, friends, “rockabilly” music and old cars Grace and John learn the value of love, hope and the necessity of letting go.
I love that Charles de Lint's books always motivate me, I'm not sure why. I guess he creates such motivated characters that are always up to something interesting . I look around my house and see all the projects I have started and left by the wayside. As soon as I finish one of his books I always find a project and start it up again.
Grace is an unusual woman. Not because of the tattoos, or because of her job as at Sanchez Motor work where she restores and customizes old cars. No, Grace is dead. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time - the corner shop when a kid decided to rob it.
But instead of passing on, Grace wakes up in her own apartment in a realm occupied by the dead of her neighbourhood. She soon learns the inhabitants can cross back into the world for a night on Hallowe’en and May Eve.
Both John and Grace have problems that need to be fixed. After meeting John, Grace is determined to solve the mystery of the realm she inhabits, and John needs to come to terms with his brother’s death years earlier. With the help of each other, friends, “rockabilly” music and old cars Grace and John learn the value of love, hope and the necessity of letting go.
I love that Charles de Lint's books always motivate me, I'm not sure why. I guess he creates such motivated characters that are always up to something interesting . I look around my house and see all the projects I have started and left by the wayside. As soon as I finish one of his books I always find a project and start it up again.
May 12, 2009
This stand-alone urban fantasy/romance by one of my favorite authors was published for adults but will, I think, appeal to many teen fantasy readers, too, and/or teens interested in questions of faith and what happens after we die. The book opens with a chapter about John and the beautiful, heavily-tattooed woman he picked up at a bar. One minute she is using his bathroom. The next minute she has disappeared. However, the book is more about that woman than about John. Her name is Altagracia, or "Grace." Grace loves to rebuild Ford cars. One day she is in her little neighborhood grocery store and a junky shoots her while trying to rob the place. She wakes up in her own apartment...but there's a strange woman in her room, telling her they are both dead. Quiet and lovely, but NOT boring or sluggish, this is a touching read about life and love and what happens...after. Suggest also to fans of ELSEWHERE, by Gabrielle Zevin.
August 20, 2009
Just a great book. As usual, Charles de Lint's books have a certain quality to them that is both light and solid. The subject matter is can be important and sometimes heavy but the way that he tells a story is nothing short of magical.
This book is not apart of the Newford collection but it does take place in a small town that fuses both Spanish, Native American and Anglo cultures together. The main character is a beautiful, tattooed, mechanic who loves her grandfather and shuts down emotionally after his death.
It takes a death to really wake you up to what you've missed.
The story tugs at your heartstrings with a sense of sadness and a sense of hope and wonder. Grace begins her journey two weeks two late but honestly, what it all comes down to is Faith.
This book is not apart of the Newford collection but it does take place in a small town that fuses both Spanish, Native American and Anglo cultures together. The main character is a beautiful, tattooed, mechanic who loves her grandfather and shuts down emotionally after his death.
It takes a death to really wake you up to what you've missed.
The story tugs at your heartstrings with a sense of sadness and a sense of hope and wonder. Grace begins her journey two weeks two late but honestly, what it all comes down to is Faith.
July 23, 2009
I was pretty disappointed by this one, but I knew within the first chapter that something was off. It's like de Lint felt he had to branch out so he watched the Discovery Channel for weeks and then busted out a novel. He's trying overly hard to be hip instead of writing what he knows or what he imagines. The constant trend mentioning is gonna date this one fast too.
January 24, 2021
A good ghost story from a great author.
July 30, 2022
Nothing is as cool as finding a book by your favorite author that you have not read. Charles de Lint has written so many books/ short stories ( in so many different formats) that I think I have read them all but once in a while I find one I haven't.
This one was beautiful and heartbreaking. Everything this author writes has a deeper meaning. I don't think I have ever read a book by him that didn't make me reflect on a part of life or the state of the world. This time it is life, death and the afterlife, faith and fear.
Grace is a tattooed mechanic who has a tattoo of Nuestra Señora de Altagracia on her shoulder. She loves rockabilly, old hotrods, Ford and John, the artist she just met on Halloween.
The ultimate road block is keeping them apart on all but two days of the year.
This is one of those books that is all spoilers to explain. I'm glad I didn't read a single review before I read the book. I would have been pissed. The shocker of the story happens so fast.
I loved the book.
This one was beautiful and heartbreaking. Everything this author writes has a deeper meaning. I don't think I have ever read a book by him that didn't make me reflect on a part of life or the state of the world. This time it is life, death and the afterlife, faith and fear.
Grace is a tattooed mechanic who has a tattoo of Nuestra Señora de Altagracia on her shoulder. She loves rockabilly, old hotrods, Ford and John, the artist she just met on Halloween.
The ultimate road block is keeping them apart on all but two days of the year.
This is one of those books that is all spoilers to explain. I'm glad I didn't read a single review before I read the book. I would have been pissed. The shocker of the story happens so fast.
I loved the book.
September 27, 2024
This one is tough. Truly more of a 2.5 stars.
I loved de Lint back in the day, he was such an auto buy for me. This one came out in 2009 and looks to have been his last standalone novel with a few exceptions of more middle-grade books. For whatever reason I never got around to it (great cover, though).
While the book read quickly and had good flow, as other folks have said, something so inextricable happens 3/4 through that you just hold your hands up and say "Whaaaat?" Couple with a "false" type ending where the book SHOULD end, it goes on another 36 pages and just putters out.
Some of the writing was also didactic with authorial intrusion that really bugs me.
But I want to give the guy a break because I loved his books so back in the 1990s. And I read that his beloved wife died this June from a tick borne disease - so sad.
I wish this hadn't been the they way I'd gone out on his books.
I loved de Lint back in the day, he was such an auto buy for me. This one came out in 2009 and looks to have been his last standalone novel with a few exceptions of more middle-grade books. For whatever reason I never got around to it (great cover, though).
While the book read quickly and had good flow, as other folks have said, something so inextricable happens 3/4 through that you just hold your hands up and say "Whaaaat?" Couple with a "false" type ending where the book SHOULD end, it goes on another 36 pages and just putters out.
Some of the writing was also didactic with authorial intrusion that really bugs me.
But I want to give the guy a break because I loved his books so back in the 1990s. And I read that his beloved wife died this June from a tick borne disease - so sad.
I wish this hadn't been the they way I'd gone out on his books.
October 23, 2019
Short fantasy novel that's self-contained; enjoyed the worldbuilding. The two main characters are fully developed - Grace has her own hobbies and interest, and its lovely how they interact (both apart and together).
August 18, 2017
A little predictable, but over all a fun read.
June 3, 2025
My only qualm is that the end dragged on a little long.
May 8, 2011
While Charles de Lint writes a lot of YA fiction, The Mystery of Grace isn’t one of them. That’s not to say that teens shouldn’t read it, but it deals with themes that aren’t very YA. It starts out with a one night stand and love at first site, spends most of the book exploring death and separation, and meditates on what it means to live a full life.
Despite all that, as a teen, I certainly would have read it and loved it. I believed in the possibility of a love strong enough to surpass death. I was certainly morbid enough to revel in the big life-after-death questions and I had VERY strong ideas what it meant to live life fully (unlike now where I think I might have a vague idea).
De Lint does his usual amazing job at creating believable, normal characters who find themselves in very not-normal situations. And as always he mixes first and third person points of view to draw us in and keep us slightly distant from the various characters. For that reason alone I’d recommend the book for anyone – of any age. His storytelling skills are topnotch.
By the way, what does make a book young adult? One rule of thumb is that the characters should be at the most a few years older than the target readers, but again, I remember reading a lot of “adult” fiction as a teen and not feeling like I couldn’t relate. The main character, Grace, could be anywhere from late teens to early forties. I’m sure the book says how old she is somewhere but her exact age doesn’t matter. Her situation is one that a whole range of people can identify with.
Another rule is a coming of age theme. With introspective novels like The Mystery of Grace you could say that they are all coming of age novels if you take coming of age to mean learning to be true to yourself and to act with integrity. That’s a lesson for anyone, not just teens figuring out what it means to be an adult. As I said above, my opinions were much stronger as a teen than they are now and so coming of age stories have a much greater impact on me now than they did when I was younger and less open to new ideas.
I know that books need categories. Without them we wouldn’t be able to find anything in the bookstore or library, but at the same time, categories can sometimes box in a book and lock it away from others who might appreciate it.
So, if you’re a YA reader, break out of your box and give The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint a try.
Despite all that, as a teen, I certainly would have read it and loved it. I believed in the possibility of a love strong enough to surpass death. I was certainly morbid enough to revel in the big life-after-death questions and I had VERY strong ideas what it meant to live life fully (unlike now where I think I might have a vague idea).
De Lint does his usual amazing job at creating believable, normal characters who find themselves in very not-normal situations. And as always he mixes first and third person points of view to draw us in and keep us slightly distant from the various characters. For that reason alone I’d recommend the book for anyone – of any age. His storytelling skills are topnotch.
By the way, what does make a book young adult? One rule of thumb is that the characters should be at the most a few years older than the target readers, but again, I remember reading a lot of “adult” fiction as a teen and not feeling like I couldn’t relate. The main character, Grace, could be anywhere from late teens to early forties. I’m sure the book says how old she is somewhere but her exact age doesn’t matter. Her situation is one that a whole range of people can identify with.
Another rule is a coming of age theme. With introspective novels like The Mystery of Grace you could say that they are all coming of age novels if you take coming of age to mean learning to be true to yourself and to act with integrity. That’s a lesson for anyone, not just teens figuring out what it means to be an adult. As I said above, my opinions were much stronger as a teen than they are now and so coming of age stories have a much greater impact on me now than they did when I was younger and less open to new ideas.
I know that books need categories. Without them we wouldn’t be able to find anything in the bookstore or library, but at the same time, categories can sometimes box in a book and lock it away from others who might appreciate it.
So, if you’re a YA reader, break out of your box and give The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint a try.
October 19, 2009
A good weekend read. Not as complex or meaty as many of Mr. de Lint's other full-length novels, but entertaining with a unique plot and enough twists to keep things compelling.
Set in the American Southwest, in a world that's an intriguing mix of custom vintage cars, rockabilly music, taquerias and adobe house, The Mystery of Grace has a compelling plot. But that's all I can really say, because I'm not big on spoilers, and to describe the plot at all would be a spoiler. Even the book jacket very carefully doesn't give anything away (kudos to whoever wrote that blurb, by the way).
The author, who is a middle-aged Canadian Caucasian man writing with the voice of an American Latina in her early 20s, ought to get some kudos, too, just for attempting to pull that off. And, I think he did a decent job of getting the right words down for the world of old cars - at least, I think he did, since I'm not a mechanic myself - but he broke the spell a little by using the word "washroom" instead of "restroom" or "bathroom" or "lady's room;" "pop" instead of "soda" (I've never heard anyone in the West say "pop" unless they had just moved there from the Midwest); and "after university" instead of "after college" (I have never heard an American in any part of the country say "after university" unless they had just lived in England for a while). These may not seem that important, but they were jarring in context and broke the spell. He obviously put so much work and research into getting the specific words right in this book that the fact that he overlooked the American usage of everyday words somewhat marred the characters' legitimacy. Although, maybe Grace's Abuelo was from Detroit. She never does say, and all things are possible, right?
Other than the language complaint, which probably bothered me more than it should, and the fact that the book wasn't long enough to really, truly develop the secondary characters - usually, that isn't such a big deal, because he develops his characters over many short stories and novels, but for a standalone novel, they were a bit superficial and translucent - I really did love this book.
It's filled with the the dreamy, otherworldly quality that is almost always present in Charles de Lint's stories, which, more than anything else, is what gives his books their magic, and it ended too soon.
Set in the American Southwest, in a world that's an intriguing mix of custom vintage cars, rockabilly music, taquerias and adobe house, The Mystery of Grace has a compelling plot. But that's all I can really say, because I'm not big on spoilers, and to describe the plot at all would be a spoiler. Even the book jacket very carefully doesn't give anything away (kudos to whoever wrote that blurb, by the way).
The author, who is a middle-aged Canadian Caucasian man writing with the voice of an American Latina in her early 20s, ought to get some kudos, too, just for attempting to pull that off. And, I think he did a decent job of getting the right words down for the world of old cars - at least, I think he did, since I'm not a mechanic myself - but he broke the spell a little by using the word "washroom" instead of "restroom" or "bathroom" or "lady's room;" "pop" instead of "soda" (I've never heard anyone in the West say "pop" unless they had just moved there from the Midwest); and "after university" instead of "after college" (I have never heard an American in any part of the country say "after university" unless they had just lived in England for a while). These may not seem that important, but they were jarring in context and broke the spell. He obviously put so much work and research into getting the specific words right in this book that the fact that he overlooked the American usage of everyday words somewhat marred the characters' legitimacy. Although, maybe Grace's Abuelo was from Detroit. She never does say, and all things are possible, right?
Other than the language complaint, which probably bothered me more than it should, and the fact that the book wasn't long enough to really, truly develop the secondary characters - usually, that isn't such a big deal, because he develops his characters over many short stories and novels, but for a standalone novel, they were a bit superficial and translucent - I really did love this book.
It's filled with the the dreamy, otherworldly quality that is almost always present in Charles de Lint's stories, which, more than anything else, is what gives his books their magic, and it ended too soon.
March 21, 2017
It wasn't what I was expecting, but maybe I had my hopes too high. But there were a lot of things that were weird about this book, and not really in a good way.
First of all, there's Grace. She's not bad. She's interesting because of her interests, though when I try to think back on it I can't really remember her personality. She likes cars and rockabilly and has a lot of tattoos. What are those tattoos? Well, there are descriptions of two of them, but the rest... She's just a heavily tattooed girl. It's mentioned so much and she has the recurring problem of people looking at her warily because of her tattoos, but we don't get to know what they all are? Frustrating.
The world that Grace finds herself in isn't quite believable. If they're completely self-contained, why do they still have food and showers and stuff? Where does the water come from? Maybe it's stupid, but the world just didn't seem to have enough detail. It didn't seem real, though I guess you could argue that it's not supposed to.
John. Stereotypical. Hovering over the line between creepy and devoted. His friends, like Grace, are defined primarily by their interests while delving into their personalities isn't anywhere. Nina is the go-getting girl, also into wicca. Danny is the gamer nerd who can't get a girl. Wes is gay. Okay.
The plot. It was interesting. I genuinely didn't know how it was going to resolve itself, so at least there really was a "mystery" in here. But it was kind of all over the place, like it didn't know what it wanted to be. The romance was there of course, though just as a instant-connection-deep-love kind of way. Then there's the whole mystery of the dead world. Suddenly there's a witch, with absolutely no foreshadowing at all. There's some stuff about faith. There's some stuff about a mother's love and Grace's family issues.
The book just wasn't long enough to actually investigate all of these things. They popped in and out of the story, making it feel disconnected and a little confusing.
It's weird though, because normally I like Charles de Lint and his books aren't so scattered. Not sure what happened to this one. It's a shame because the cover and concept are really cool.
First of all, there's Grace. She's not bad. She's interesting because of her interests, though when I try to think back on it I can't really remember her personality. She likes cars and rockabilly and has a lot of tattoos. What are those tattoos? Well, there are descriptions of two of them, but the rest... She's just a heavily tattooed girl. It's mentioned so much and she has the recurring problem of people looking at her warily because of her tattoos, but we don't get to know what they all are? Frustrating.
The world that Grace finds herself in isn't quite believable. If they're completely self-contained, why do they still have food and showers and stuff? Where does the water come from? Maybe it's stupid, but the world just didn't seem to have enough detail. It didn't seem real, though I guess you could argue that it's not supposed to.
John. Stereotypical. Hovering over the line between creepy and devoted. His friends, like Grace, are defined primarily by their interests while delving into their personalities isn't anywhere. Nina is the go-getting girl, also into wicca. Danny is the gamer nerd who can't get a girl. Wes is gay. Okay.
The plot. It was interesting. I genuinely didn't know how it was going to resolve itself, so at least there really was a "mystery" in here. But it was kind of all over the place, like it didn't know what it wanted to be. The romance was there of course, though just as a instant-connection-deep-love kind of way. Then there's the whole mystery of the dead world. Suddenly there's a witch, with absolutely no foreshadowing at all. There's some stuff about faith. There's some stuff about a mother's love and Grace's family issues.
The book just wasn't long enough to actually investigate all of these things. They popped in and out of the story, making it feel disconnected and a little confusing.
It's weird though, because normally I like Charles de Lint and his books aren't so scattered. Not sure what happened to this one. It's a shame because the cover and concept are really cool.
December 4, 2011
Altagracia Quintero, Grace to her friends, is a lover of classic cars--specifically, classic Ford cars. She works at Sanchez Motors customizing hot rods. She's a fan of rockabilly music, and has enough tattoos to make those unacquainted with her believe at first glance that she's a tough, scary, gang member.
John's an artist, doing commission work for his friends' company while pursuing his serious art independently. He's a melancholy and somewhat solitary young man, still coping with his grief and guilt over the death of his younger brother, when they were still children. When he and Grace meet at the local music hall on Halloween, he's immediately attracted to her, and she to him. Before the night is over, John and Grace are well on the way to being in love.
Unfortunately, Grace has been dead for two weeks.
Grace died when she was shot by a strung-out junkie robbing the local grocery when she stopped in to buy a pack of cigarettes. After death, she woke up in a very odd afterlife, a tiny pocket universe which reproduces her apartment building, the Alverson Arms, and a few blocks around it in each direction. Everyone who dies within those few blocks winds up in this pocket universe when they die. There's no way out, except for two "free trips home" a year, on Halloween and May Eve. On those two nights, they can, if they choose, return to the living world from moonrise to sunrise. The people who knew them before, though, won't recognize them, and at sunrise, they find themselves back in the Alverson Arms world.
In alternating voices, John's and Grace's, we learn the story of their romance, John's struggles with the discovery that he's in love with a ghost, and Grace's discovery of the nature of the Alverson Arms world and her struggle to set things right. This story is truly a stand-alone, unrelated to anything de Lint has written before, but if you've enjoyed his gentle, lyrical telling of tales whose characters have to confront their own character strengths and weaknesses, as well as a world more complex than they were prepared for, you'll enjoy this.
Recommended.
I borrowed this book from a friend.
John's an artist, doing commission work for his friends' company while pursuing his serious art independently. He's a melancholy and somewhat solitary young man, still coping with his grief and guilt over the death of his younger brother, when they were still children. When he and Grace meet at the local music hall on Halloween, he's immediately attracted to her, and she to him. Before the night is over, John and Grace are well on the way to being in love.
Unfortunately, Grace has been dead for two weeks.
Grace died when she was shot by a strung-out junkie robbing the local grocery when she stopped in to buy a pack of cigarettes. After death, she woke up in a very odd afterlife, a tiny pocket universe which reproduces her apartment building, the Alverson Arms, and a few blocks around it in each direction. Everyone who dies within those few blocks winds up in this pocket universe when they die. There's no way out, except for two "free trips home" a year, on Halloween and May Eve. On those two nights, they can, if they choose, return to the living world from moonrise to sunrise. The people who knew them before, though, won't recognize them, and at sunrise, they find themselves back in the Alverson Arms world.
In alternating voices, John's and Grace's, we learn the story of their romance, John's struggles with the discovery that he's in love with a ghost, and Grace's discovery of the nature of the Alverson Arms world and her struggle to set things right. This story is truly a stand-alone, unrelated to anything de Lint has written before, but if you've enjoyed his gentle, lyrical telling of tales whose characters have to confront their own character strengths and weaknesses, as well as a world more complex than they were prepared for, you'll enjoy this.
Recommended.
I borrowed this book from a friend.
March 19, 2010
With my on-going goal to read more Charles de Lint, I chose his newest adult urban fantasy novel, The Mystery of Grace. I'd actually tag it as a contemporary Gothic horror but the two genres share many points in common.
Grace learned from her beloved Abuelo the fine art of restoring classic American cars. She's a fanatic for Fords to the point of having the company logo (along with many others) tattooed to her body. As she lives in a small south west town, she is well known. For those who don't know her, her tattoos would certainly make a lasting impression. Or so you'd think.
Now The Mystery of Grace wouldn't be a fantasy (or horror) if it was only about a tattooed woman and her love of Fords. But in a strange twist of fate Grace finds herself in an alternate version of her town. Is it the afterlife or something else? Grace's arrival in the alternate town reminds me quite favorably of Stephen King's novella: "The Langoliers" from Four Past Midnight.
The mystery of Grace is to figure out the secret behind the town and how to bring things to a close. De Lint moves quickly and smoothly from Grace learning how the alternate town works, its history (as best as anyone can remember) and how she can walk between her new world and the original (but only on certain days). The moving between the worlds is what keeps the book planted in the fantasy genre but the alternate town itself is pure Gothic horror.
I loved the book. Of the three I've now read (The Wild Wood, Muse and Reverie and The Mystery of Grace), Grace's story is by far my favorite.
Grace learned from her beloved Abuelo the fine art of restoring classic American cars. She's a fanatic for Fords to the point of having the company logo (along with many others) tattooed to her body. As she lives in a small south west town, she is well known. For those who don't know her, her tattoos would certainly make a lasting impression. Or so you'd think.
Now The Mystery of Grace wouldn't be a fantasy (or horror) if it was only about a tattooed woman and her love of Fords. But in a strange twist of fate Grace finds herself in an alternate version of her town. Is it the afterlife or something else? Grace's arrival in the alternate town reminds me quite favorably of Stephen King's novella: "The Langoliers" from Four Past Midnight.
The mystery of Grace is to figure out the secret behind the town and how to bring things to a close. De Lint moves quickly and smoothly from Grace learning how the alternate town works, its history (as best as anyone can remember) and how she can walk between her new world and the original (but only on certain days). The moving between the worlds is what keeps the book planted in the fantasy genre but the alternate town itself is pure Gothic horror.
I loved the book. Of the three I've now read (The Wild Wood, Muse and Reverie and The Mystery of Grace), Grace's story is by far my favorite.
October 26, 2012
Character-driven. Atmospheric, Romantic. Lyrical.
This book is an excellent piece of urban fantasy incorporating both romance and mystery. Grace is a mechanic who dies, ends up in a purgatory-like afterlife centered around her old apartment building, and then meets her true love (who is still living) on one of the two nights a year when she can mingle with the living. Grace now has to determine what traps her in this small afterlife and whether or not she wants to move on.
Recommended for those who enjoy urban fantasy, especially anything by Charles de Lint. Also good for those who enjoy Bordertown or any of its offshoots, Holly Black, Emma Bull, Tamsin, Terri Windling, Patricia A. McKillip, or Nevernever.
This book is an excellent piece of urban fantasy incorporating both romance and mystery. Grace is a mechanic who dies, ends up in a purgatory-like afterlife centered around her old apartment building, and then meets her true love (who is still living) on one of the two nights a year when she can mingle with the living. Grace now has to determine what traps her in this small afterlife and whether or not she wants to move on.
Recommended for those who enjoy urban fantasy, especially anything by Charles de Lint. Also good for those who enjoy Bordertown or any of its offshoots, Holly Black, Emma Bull, Tamsin, Terri Windling, Patricia A. McKillip, or Nevernever.
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