The Best Place to Be

I read this book the way I eat chocolate truffles: savoring and devouring at once, with the best sense of indulgence. I love Grace's humor, her perfectly tuned guilt, her yearnings and--despite her various efforts--her kindness. And I love the redemptive power of her irony. Bring this book to the beach or on your work commute; read it before bed. It will both take you out of your life's grip and at the same time make you recognize that grip more...forgivingly. DELIGHTEDLY recommended.

I don't know if I love these stories most for their humor or for their despair. Neither budges for the other, and the two cohabit with a perfect (no pun intended) grace.

"Now I was fifty, not a mother, not a daughter, and the kitchen was in the living room and I didn't know how I was supposed to behave." -- this is an example of the funny/poignant/so not-syrup style of protagonist Grace, hero while trying to be anything but. There are satisfying revelations/epiphanies, but just as engaging are the turns of phrases and small gems sprinkled throughout. Ms. Dormen has found a character finding herself and as audience we hitch a ride, game to see if she can make good. The author's skill comes in unraveling the character in such a way that leaves you unable to put the book down so as not to miss a beat.

I loved this book. It made me remember why I read in the first place - to laugh, to nod my head in acknowledgement, to recognize some deep essential link we all have. Dormen's Grace is an amazing invention. She'll stick with you long after you finished the last page of this jewel of a book.

Imagine you have a wise generous friend who wants to tell you her story. Her story has a happy ending, but not because everything magically falls in to place. It's happy because the conflicts, pain, and good fortune of life are truthfully and artfully described. Lesley Dormen has crafted a beautiful and intimate book and the time I spent reading it was joyful.