Book Review: Act of Grace by Karen Simpson

Grace Johnson is an exceptional African American student from Vigilant, Michigan. A racially charged town, few people understand why Grace would take a bullet to save the life of a Ku Klux Klansman named Jonathan Gilmore; especially since rumor has it years ago a member of Gilmore’s family murdered several African Americans--including Grace’s father.

The Ancestor spirits won't be ignored, however. They insist Grace bear witness to her town's violent racial history, so that all involved might transcend it. Looking back over her actions, Grace wonders if she can do as the spirits asked:  lead Gilmore, her hometown, and her own soul on a journey toward reconciliation, redemption and true grace.

Act of Grace by Karen Simpson is an eloquently written, intriguing mystical novel. Raised by an abusive, unloving mother, Grace is looking forward to graduation. Little does she know that her old life will soon be just a memory, as she is called by the Ancestors to bear witness to Vigilant's violent, racially charged past.

I can honestly say, I've never read a book like Act of Grace before. It captivated me quickly, and Simpson's eloquent prose unfolded the story slowly, like the blooming of a flower. Each layer revealed more as Grace shared her story. While I'm not typically a fan of books hosting a plethora of metaphors and similes, Simpson wove them into the plot in such a way that I couldn't imagine trying to read Grace's story without them. This did, however, lead to a slower development of the story. A great deal takes place within the book's 320 pages, and there were times I felt I had been reading forever, but was still less than halfway through it.

Act of Grace is as much a character driven novel as it is a plot driven one. The reader meets many strong personalities within the story. From Grace's mother to her aunts, from her cousin to her best friend and many more, these people will touch you or rub you the wrong way, but you won't be able to shake them. This is a story that will remain with you a long time.

I highly recommend Act of Grace by Karen Simpson.

Title:  Act of Grace
Author:  Karen Simpson
Publisher: Plenary Publishing (March 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0982777949
ISBN-13: 978-0982777947
SRP:  $15.00 (paperback)
Also available in a Kindle edition.

I received a free electronic copy of this book through Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.

This book is the sixth book I've read for the following challenge:

This book is the fourth book I've read for the following challenge:

This book is the first book I've read for the following challenge:

Guest Blogger: Karen Simpson, Author of Act of Grace

Joining us today is Karen Simpson, author of Act of Grace.

Why would Grace Johnson, an African American high school senior, take a bullet to save the life of a Ku Klux Klansman named Jonathan Gilmore?

The question hovers unanswered over Grace’s hometown of Vigilant, Michigan. Few people, black or white, understand her sacrifice, especially since rumor has it years ago a member of Gilmore’s family murdered several African Americans including Grace’s father. Grace doesn’t want to talk about it, but the decision to speak is not hers to make. Ancestor spirits emerge to insist, in ways Grace cannot ignore, that she bear witness to her town’s violent racial history so that all involved might transcend it.

With hindsight made telescopic by the wisdom found in African American mythology and the book The Velveteen Rabbit, Grace recounts a story of eye-for-an-eye vengeance that has blinded entire generations in her hometown. Faced with the horrific crimes that have disfigured her life, Grace wonders if in the end, she can do as the spirits have asked and lead Mr. Gilmore, the town of Vigilant and her own soul on a journey toward reconciliation, redemption and true grace.

"The Grace of Cake" by Karen Simpson

I love to cook and this passion reveals itself in my writing. My novel, Act of Grace, is full of descriptions of food, particularly pastries and cakes. On the page there are descriptions of tarts, pies and a cornucopia of cakes. Each baked good has its own meaning in the story, even if it is only to convey to the reader the idea that there can be sweetness, joy and hope during the darkest times of our lives.

One of my favourite cakes to bake, eat and write about is the pound cake. Now, many folks consider the pound cake to be an ordinary baked good, the kind of cake you bake if you don’t have a lot of time or fancy ingredients. But sometimes simple foods are best; pound cake batter can be the perfect blank canvas upon which an imaginative cook can demonstrate their culinary expertise. A well-made pound cake can be stunning and in my novel, the protagonist Grace describes such a cake:

“My cousin Aesha’s cake was considered a family treasure, and it was encased like the culinary jewel it was, in a tin she had decorated with beads and glitter. The aroma of pure butter perfumed with expensive vanilla and rose water spilled out to herald the arrival of a tall pound cake wearing a lacy sugar glaze veil complemented by an impressive crown of slivered almonds. It seemed almost a sin to cut it.”

Grace's pound cake is beautiful; however, it's not just a simple cake because she will come to realize that it symbolizes the beginning of her spiritual journey.

Below is my favourite pound cake, a recipe given to me by my Mom.

Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups butter
• 6 eggs
• 1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4-teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups sugar
• 1-teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 320 degrees

1. Allow butter, eggs, and sour cream to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Make sure the butter is soft. Meanwhile, grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda; set aside.

3. In a large mixer bowl, beat butter with a stand mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually( and I do mean gradually) add sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to egg mixture, beating on low to medium speed after each addition until just combined. Spread batter in the prepared pan.

5. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 1-1/2 hours or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in a pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. If you like, garnish with ice cream, chocolate, or some fruit.

Enjoy!!!

Karen Simpson, author of Act of Grace, lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She earned a Masters Degree in Historic Preservation at Eastern Michigan University. An avid historian, her speculative fiction is base on African American folklore and history. In 2009 she was awarded the Speculative Literature Foundation’s Older Writers Grant.

You can find her at:

Website: http://karensimpsonwrites.com
Blog: http://lafreya.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/klsimpson