GRACE: A NOVEL

Book ID/图书代码： 14780011B50324

English Summary/英文概要： T. Greenwood’s extraordinary novels, deftly combining lyrical prose with heartrending subject matter, have earned her acclaim as a "family-damage specialist" (Kirkus). Now she explores one year in a family poised to implode, and the imperfect love that may be its only salvation.

Every family photograph hides a story. Some are suffused with warmth and joy, others reflect the dull ache of disappointed dreams. For thirteen-year-old Trevor Kennedy, taking photos helps make sense of his fractured world. His father, Kurt, struggles to keep a business going while also caring for Trevor’s aging grandfather, whose hoarding has reached dangerous levels. Trevor’s mother, Elsbeth, all but ignores her son while doting on his five-year-old sister, Gracy, and pilfering useless drugstore items.

Trevor knows he can count on little Gracy’s unconditional love and his art teacher’s encouragement. None of that compensates for the bullying he has endured at school for as long as he can remember. But where Trevor once silently tolerated the jabs and name-calling, now anger surges through him in ways he’s powerless to control.

Only Crystal, a store clerk dealing with her own loss, sees the deep fissures in the Kennedy family--in the haunting photographs Trevor brings to be developed, and in the palpable distance between Elsbeth and her son. And as their lives become more intertwined, each will be pushed to the breaking point, with shattering, unforeseeable consequences.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： T.格林伍德的最新立作，作者巧妙地結合了抒情散文和令人辛酸的創作題材，為她贏得了作為一名“瓊瑤劇專家”的美譽（柯克斯書評）。現在他呈現出一個家庭一年內的驚人內幕，而一段殘缺的愛可能是唯一的救贖機會。
每個家庭照後都隱藏這一段故事。一些充滿溫馨和歡樂。而另一些則反映出失落夢想的隱痛。對於十三歲的Trevor Kennedy（特雷弗•甘迺迪），拍照有助於理解對他來說缺失的世界，他的父親，Kurt（庫爾特），努力維持生意的同時，還要照顧特雷弗老邁的祖父，他的三圍已達到危險的係數。特雷弗的母親，Elsbeth（埃爾斯貝特），因過份溺愛特雷弗五歲大的妹妹，Gracy（格裡斯），而忽視了自己的兒子，在藥房偷竊一些沒有用的物品。
特雷弗知道自己可以指望小格裡斯無條件的愛和藝術老師對他的鼓勵。只要他能記得，沒人能補償他在學校所遭受的欺淩。但一旦特雷弗容忍限度達到極點，他會開始謾駡，現在他的暴怒方式已經無法控制。
只有Crystal（克裡斯多），一個商店的職員能應對這種局面，她看到了甘迺迪家族深處的裂縫 —— 在泛黃的相片中特雷弗漸漸長大，還可以明顯察覺到母親埃爾斯貝特和兒子之間的距離。他們的生活變得更加複雜，每個人將被推向這一轉捩點，摻雜這破碎，和不可預知的結果。(Sandy)

Awards/获奖情况：2012 San Diego Book Award for Fiction

• GRACE is an INDIE NEXT Pick for April 2012!: “I dare you to read the first chapter of this book and then try to set it aside. It’s impossible not to devour the mystery of why Kurt aims his rifle at the back of his only son’s head. As their story unfolds you will understand and sympathize with each character. Grace is a thriller, a heartbreaking account of bullying, and a beautiful story about an imperfect family and the love that must save them all.” —Cathy Allard, BayShore Books, Oconto, WI

• “Greenwood’s harrowing study of a troubled family on the brink of disaster is exceptionally well observed; her skillful use of imagery and foreshadowing sharpens the focus on the Kennedy’s dysfunction and avoidance of communication. Readers who enjoy insightful and sensitive family drama will appreciate discovering Greenwood.” – Library Journal

“Every character, save Grace, feels trapped in their life circumstances and dreams of a way out. Young Gracie is the glue that holds all the loose threads together. Everyone loves her. She is beautiful and precious and perfect. When they feel they can’t go on another day, they look at Grace and feel a reason to live. But what happens when a bomb has exploded at the school and Grace is missing? As a fierce winter storm brews in the bleak Vermont sky, the storylines cross and collide in a catastrophic climax.” – LitStack http://litstack.com/?p=6235

“Greenwood’s latest will have readers wide-eyed in anticipation and near-horror after reading the opening chapter, as they wonder how in the world a father can possibly consider shooting his own son. The multiple perspectives allow us to gain an insight into how the characters view one another. This novel will keep readers rapt until the very end as Greenwood circles back to the opening scene with Kurt and Trevor standing in the snowy field. Shocking and honest, you’re likely to never forget this book.” – RT Book Reviews, 4.5 STARS

“Teens will appreciate this tautly written novel with strong characters and emotional depth. Unremittingly painful, it’s hard to put down.” ---- School Library Journal

San Francisco Book Review – Review and included in “Top 6 Books of Summer” roundup: “A story of extreme pain, honesty and true humanity; every tender shard is written with such precision and poetry it is a tale not to be put down until it says so. It would be a great read for the darker months but the writing is so well-crafted any time of year works.” -- BOOKLIST

About the Author/作者介绍： T. Greenwood is the author of Breathing Water, Nearer Than the Sky, and Undressing the Moon, the latter two both Booksense 76 picks. She has received grants from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation and, most recently, the National Endowment for the Arts. She teaches creative writing at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. She lives with her husband and their two daughters in the D.C. area, where she is also an aspiring fine arts photographer.
T. Greenwood（T.格林伍德）是六部小說的作者。她曾被授予Sherwood Anderson Foundation （舍伍德 安德森基金會），（美國）全國藝術基金會的嘉獎，近期又受到馬里蘭國家藝術理事會的嘉獎。《Two Rivers/兩河平原》在去年的聖地牙哥圖書獎被譽為最佳通俗小說。她的另四部小說一直是BookSense （書商協會）76/獨立協會的首選；《THIS GLITTERING WORLD/這個明亮的世界》是2011年1月的選集，她的第七部小說《GRACE/格蕾絲》將在2012年四月出版發行。
她同時在加利福尼亞聖地牙哥分校的推廣計畫部和流行聲樂部教授創意寫作。她和丈夫，Patrick（派翠克），以及兩個女兒住在加州聖地牙哥。她還是個攝影愛好者。
你可以在她的個人網站上瞭解關於T. Greenwood（T.格林伍德）的更多資訊：http://www.tgreenwood.com 和她的個人博客：
http://www.mermama.blogspot.com & http://www.ephemerafiles.blogspot.com

Format:PROOF

Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE

Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE

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