Chasing Grace: Reflections of a Catholic Girl, Grown Up

"I used to think that grace is what happens when your toast falls butter-side-up. But that's not grace, it's good fortune. Grace is what helps you celebrate the joy of a good landing and tolerate the disappointment of a bad one."
--Martha Manning

From the author of the "absolutely absorbing" ( "USA Today" ) memoir "Undercurrents" comes an unforgettable portrait of childhood, family and community. The eldest child of a devout Irish-American Catholic family, Martha Manning weaves her story around the seven holy sacraments: baptism, penance, communion, confirmation, holy orders, marriage and last rites. She recalls her childhood pratfalls, adolescent yearnings and entrance into motherhood with wisdom, wit and remarkable honesty. At once poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, "Chasing Grace" is a wholly original tale of family and friends, happy times and difficult ones -- and the painful, joyous journey from childhood to adulthood.