Finding Grace

Children's Literature

Rachel, a college freshman, takes a job as caretaker for Grace, a brain-damaged woman, to help pay her college expenses. Set in Australia, humor and Rachel's interesting personality keeps things moving in this story. For instance, Rachel meets Harold, a fellow student and calls him "Hiro" because his foreign pronunciation of "Harold" sounded more like Hiro to Rachel. Then Rachel invites Grace on her dates with Hiro. Though the care of a person who cannot follow every-day, expected behavior is hard for Rachel, the difficult assignment does not harden Rachel to her task, and she decides to make a career of caring for brain-damaged people. Little hope is held out for Grace, but Rachel sees a spark in Grace's eyes and feels there is a chance for recovery. The kindness and humane treatment Rachel shows Grace appears to be the best therapy Grace could ever receive. Alyssa Brugman, an Australian author, has written a good and inspirational story. 2001, Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books, Ages 12 to 18.
—Jennie DeGenaro

KLIATT

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, November 2004: Rachel is graduating from high school when she meets Alistair Preston. He is an imposing man who later slips Rachel a classified ad for a caregiver ("carer"), for a woman with a severe brain injury. Rachel takes the job and after several weeks realizes that she knows nothing about Grace, the woman for whom she is now responsible. Finding a box of letters hidden in a bookcase, Rachel seeks to find out more about this woman and how she came to be in this condition. The novel is set in Australia, so language, place names, and popular references will not be familiar to American readers. There is some adult language, though it is not used by the main characters. Grace's neighbors are rude people who use language, and a boot, as a weapon. The elderly men from down the street become Rachel's friends when they stop in to check on Grace and Grace's cat, Prickles. During the course of the novel, Rachel starts college at the "uni," and meets a Taiwanese cello player, Harold. By the end of the novel, she becomes accustomed to the blank look in Grace's eyes and gradually works to allow Grace the finer experiences in life, as Mr. Preston has asked her to do. There is some slapstick comedy along with poignant moments as Rachel comes to learn about herself while she cares for a woman who cannot tell her own story. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2004, Random House, Laurel Leaf, 227p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Janis Flint-Ferguson

Children's Literature - Heather Robertson Mason

The move from high school to college is a right of passage for many teenagers. It is a time when they find a new apartment, find a full-time job, and try to find themselves. Rachel shares this experience with many eighteen year olds. What sets her apart is that her first apartment is in a spare room in an old house and her first job is taking care of a brain-damaged woman named Grace. While the summary sets readers up for a melodramatic meltdown, this story is actually a very sweet tale of finding happiness. As Rachel tries to find out what would make her happy in life, she finds clues to what Grace's life was like before her accident. The main characters are very realistic, and Rachel is very entertaining as the story's narrator. Other than some minor references to drinking, there is nothing inappropriate in the novel; nevertheless, high school students will be able to relate to it easier than middle school students. One caveat, the story takes place in Australia, so some terms may be unfamiliar to American readers.

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-Rachel is just starting college when a local attorney who met her during graduation hires her to care for Grace, his former coworker and friend, who has suffered brain damage. The teen approaches the job with her typical perfectionism, but without much compassion. However, as Rachel begins to unfold and piece together Grace's past, she discovers a woman who once lived and loved. As Rachel opens herself up to a new world of experiences, she is forced to admit that she doesn't know everything. Brugman has written a novel that is both funny and heart-wrenching. The characters have a refreshing creativity, are perfectly rounded, and vividly brought to life as they interact with one another. Rachel's quirky observations create laughter, and her evolving sense of humanity never fails to bring a smile. Grace's story is full of shocking surprises that unfold like a mystery; coupled with Rachel's personal growth, it drives the plot forward as readers long to learn more.-Leigh Ann Morlock, Vernonia School District, OR Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

An engaging portrait of a recent high-school graduate as she embarks on her first job as a live-in "carer" for Grace, a brain-injured woman, and simultaneously begins college. Brugman brings to life a young woman who one minute can say, "I'm eighteen and know everything," and the next is tripping over her feet and trying "a new blush avoidance tactic." Told in the first person, the reader is privy to Rachel's refreshingly smart and funny take on her trials and tribulations, her offbeat way of viewing the world. It is however her relationship with Grace, her growing empathy, that is at the heart of this Australian import. A mystery of sorts, Rachel tries to piece together clues from Grace's former life and finds out a lot about herself along the way. Some of the plot elements, particularly the circumstances under which Grace becomes brain-damaged, are excessive. Yet young readers will connect with Rachel's authentically adolescent voice, her journey toward "finding Grace." A relatively new writer, Brugman is the real deal. (Fiction. 12-15)