What do You think about A Gracious Plenty (1999)?
This is the third novel by Sheri Reynolds that I've read. I look forward to reading more of her novels.A Gracious Plenty is a story about a woman named Finch who was severely burned in an accident as a child. She becomes a loner and takes care of her Dad's cemetery after he dies. Finch realizes she has the ability to converse with the "dead" that are buried in the cemetery. Alot of those who've passed on she knew in life and they confide their sorrows, hopes and regrets to her. The book was written with wonderful imagery, feeling and gives you an appreciation for being human and I suppose "alive".From the back cover: "Badly burned in a household accident when she was a child, Finch Nobles grows into a courageous and feisty loner who eschews the pity of her hometown and discovers that she can hear the voices of the people buried in her father's cemetery. Finally, when she speaks to them, they answer, telling their stories in a remarkable chorus of regrets, explanations, and insights. A Gracious Plenty is like an extraordinary amalgam of Steinbeck and Faulkner. It is a reading experience that you will not soon forget."
—Louise
Yet another book where I completely disagree with all of the goodreads reviews. I was really looking forward to reading this because most of the reviews gave it 4 or 5 stars. The only reason it is getting 2 instead of 1 is because it is not like anything else I have ever read. I like the uniqueness of the story but in general it really grossed me out. Between the way she described her scrapings and the cat that was pooping worms, and the cat that she killed.... I was very tempted to stop reading. I really wish I had.
—Megan
Darkness and light, longing, loneliness and compassion fill this interesting and very different tale. Finch Nobles, an imaginative five year old, burned herself when she pulled a boiling pot off the stove to water her "broom" pony. As she grew she suffered the horror of being called a monster by every child she met while adults fled or ignored her. Her own mother never forgave herself for allowing Finch to play in the kitchen with the pot on the stove and became a shell of a woman, dieing within 10 years of the accident. Mr. Nobles, the grounds keeper of the local cemetery continued to love and teach Finch the best way he knew how and as they aged together, Finch took over the job at Nobles Hill. Finch's only friends were the hundreds of stray cats she fed and allowed to roam throughout her house and the dead buried on the hill. While she was still very young, in agonizing pain from the skin scrapings, she was befriended by The Mediator, an angel on earth whose job it was to help the dead move on from their earthly graves to a place of enlightenment. Finch developed a unique ability to hear and eventually converse with the deceased while she tended to the the plots, the plants,shrubs and flowers. The Mediator claimed it was because she "died" many times while coming to terms with the burns and horrific scarring. Eventually, she learns the secrets of many of the towns people, realizing she has shunned humankind more so than they shunned her. Finch even befriends Leonard, the local police officer, who was her classmate and suffered as much or more ridicule than she when they were children. Worse yet, Leonard, now 40 years old, continues to seek the approval of his unloving and judgemental father while Finch grew into an independent woman. A lovely tale that reminds the reader that every person has a story, some long dark secrets, some simple, some too horrifying to imagine. Reynolds is an extremely talented writer and "A Gracious Plenty" is an extremely lovely book. Prev: Marley & Me
—Rita
