Grace Notes

Synopsis

Hart's lyrical memoir shifts seamlessly back and forth through time as she traces her often-tortuous path toward spiritual grace. Raised and married in the Mormon faith, she found herself becoming more and more a reflection of her own mother, a woman of many gifts and talents but no individual voice. As she became increasingly disillusioned with the direction of her own marriage and with the male-dominated and male-oriented Church of the Latter-day Saints, she found comfort and solace in the diary of an early-nineteenth-century kinswoman rendered virtually mute by a debilitating disease. Drawing strength from her cross-century communion with Catharine Seeley, Hart was able to honestly evaluate her own past and find the strength and inspiration to leave the church of her childhood and become a member of the community of Quakers. Thoughtful readers will be captivated. Margaret Flanagan

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