"…one of the best books I've read in a very long time…," "…storytelling at its finest…," "…beautifully written, haunting, profound…"

These are just a few of the reactions to Kathryn Magendie's exquisite coming-of-age novel, Tender Graces, which tells the tale of Virginia Kate, a young woman who returns to the Appalachian hollow where she was born to deal with the aftermath of her mother's death. Memories of her troubled mother, her beloved Grandma Faith, her turbulent childhood, and three generations of buried family secrets lead to revelations and resolutions that are both stunning and satisfying. Daughter of a beautiful mountain wild-child and a slick, Shakespeare-quoting salesman, Virginia Kate tells her story in a series of flashbacks, memories, and current events as she comes to terms with lost innocence and newfound freedom. 316 pages, soft cover, $14.95

Here's an excerpt from Tender Graces:

In Grandma Faith's journal is the story of how Momma and Daddy met. How I began. In the pages are tucked pictures—one of Grandma with me on her lap, another one of Momma when she was a young girl of seventeen, and one of my parents after they were married in 1954. The journal burns warm as I rub the tooled leather and pass the sign that welcomes me to the state of West Virginia. But I don't need the sign to tell me. The pull of my mountain calls me home. Oh, how I've missed these mountains, even when I didn't know I did. They'd been tucked away inside, hiding behind my heart, pulsing with my blood. Waiting for me.

Between Pocahontas and Summers County, where Momma was born, where Grandma Faith lived and then died on her own mountain, I look up and beyond at my heritage. All the mystery, all the secrets, all the loss and gain of our lives.

When Momma was a girl, she ran on the mountain wild and dirty until my daddy came to fetch her away. I can well imagine Momma the day she met Daddy, from Momma's scrawled notes off to the side of Grandma's slanted ones. I see my momma just as clear as if I were there myself. The old house perched on the mountain, and Daddy walking up to knock on their door.

I shake away the memories so I can concentrate on what's ahead. The address Uncle Jonah gave me is easy to find, right off the highway. I park, and go inside to fetch Momma. I walk with my head up and my feet clomping hard. There's no one else there waiting. I'm alone.

Grandma Faith says, "No, you are not alone. I'm here."