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On a muggy, late August afternoon in 1936, somewhere along the banks of Greasy Creek, Life found Grace--walking the dusty mile between work and home in a brand new pair of leather kitten-heeled pumps, blond curls bouncing in the sun. Two weeks later, Lifie Jay Preston and Grace Mollette married, a union that lasted until their deaths fifty-eight years later. There was something about them, their daughter Linda would discover, a kind of radiance and love of living that would mark them in the memories of every person they encountered--a song that resonates years after their passing. "Songs of Life and Grace: A Memoir" is their story, told by the daughter whose own life grew out of their loving ministries and Appalachian sensibilities. Linda Scott DeRosier, the celebrated author of "Creeker: A Woman's Journey," draws on family letters and lore, interviews, and her own recollections to reach a better understanding of her parents and the families that formed them both. Along the way, she introduces an unforgettable cast of characters: the formidable Grandma Emmy; Uncle Burns, an infamous ladies' man; helpless and simple Aunt Jo; and gentle Pop Pop, who could peel an apple in one long, unbroken spiral. A stirring, honest look at Appalachia and a tribute to the unbreakable bonds of family, "Songs of Life and Grace" establishes DeRosier as one of the most vital and exciting new voices of the American South.

• January 2012 Indie Next List
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• November 2011 Indie Next List