The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee
Ten-year-old Gracie Lee knows a few things. She knows which trees are best for climbing. She knows how to walk through the hallway without making a sound on the hardwood floor. She knows if Daddy’s crop gets one more drop of rain, the whole family will pay the price.
There are plenty of things Gracie doesn’t know. These things keep her awake at night.
Gracie longs for something bigger and grander and truer, and feels certain there is more to life beyond school and dull church sermons. She worries about the soldiers in Vietnam and wonders what it must be like to have been born Lisa Marie Presley from Tennessee instead of Gracie Lee Abbott from Arkansas. Mostly, she wishes her Daddy wasn’t so mean.
Gracie’s unchecked imagination leads to adventure, and adventure leads to trouble. She confides in unexpected characters and seeks solace in a mysterious gray house beyond the cotton field. When Gracie faces a difficult family situation, she must make a life-altering decision, one that will test the very essence of her character.
About Talya Tate Boerner (Fayetteville, Arkansas Author)
Here are a few things about what makes me tick, and why we should be friends. I’m not afraid to drink from a regular garden hose or eat raw cookie dough. Unless I’m buying books or plants, I don’t like to shop. I love freshly ground coffee and logo t-shirts. I know how to make mud pies and snow cream and play dough from scratch.
I love interesting writing, some poetry, old movies, and hardback novels, especially southern classics. I have a degree in economics from Baylor University, and once upon a time worked for the previous owner of the Dallas Cowboys. I’m married to a man who is often mistaken for Alec Baldwin. My two grown children are the best people I know. I hope to be like them someday.
Clutter and incessant chatter make me crazy. I’m an extroverted introvert and need my quiet time. I’m inspired by music and nature. Sometimes I have vivid science fiction dreams, but I never write them down. I have a butterfly garden in the backyard, two schnauzers that rule the world, a stray cat living on my porch, and an armadillo burrowing under my house. Milkweed is my new favorite plant.
I enjoy cooking and believe most any meal can be improved with a side of collard greens. I love Arkansas and the South and think the Ozark Mountains are as gorgeous as any place on Earth. I’m a farmer’s daughter who really was raised in a barn.