Full of Grace

Charleston resident Marcia Graziella, or Grace, is anything but a Southern belle. Transplanted to the South from an Italian New Jersey neighborhood, Grace is full of spunk and irreverence, which tax her family. Susan Bennett reads with the same cheekiness and boldness demonstrated by Grace's rejection of her family's Catholic values. Bennett does equally well narrating the character of Michael, Grace's live-in Southern partner, as he fights a brain tumor. Full of traditional family dynamics, as well as a dose of miracles, Frank's novel is deeply spiritual. Bennett's adept handling of the aspects of faith and humor produces an entertaining and thought-provoking listening experience. H.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine


In the tones of a brash Jersey girl whose voice has been tempered with an acquired Southern drawl, Susan Bennett portrays this novel's title character, Grace. Now retired in Hilton Head, South Carolina, she's the daughter of a traditional Italian family who can't forgive her for living with and not marrying her longtime love. While caring for him during his treatment for a brain tumor and defending herself against her loud, self-absorbed father, her devoutly Catholic and put-upon mother, and her old-world grandmother, Grace discovers her own spirituality. Despite the drama inherent in the struggles between mother and daughter, Bennett often speaks in a quiet and reflective tone. The technique works and is mesmerizing when Grace consults the parish priest about her troubles. E.V.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine