Freeing Grace

A tender and thought-provoking story exploring the sacrifices we make for family and what it takes to be a good parent.



Grace's teenage mother dies shortly after giving birth and the perfect adoptive parents are found for her: David, the curate of an inner-city parish, and his wife Leila, who are unable to have children of their own. What they don't count on is Matt Harrison, Grace's shell-shocked young father who falls in love with his daughter and fights to keep her.



The Harrisons are an unconventional family who see in Grace a chance for redemption. To convince the courts of their suitability will require a commitment from Matt's mother to return from Africa to her unhappy marriage. The Harrisons enlist their friend, the feckless, charming Jake Kelly, to retrieve her and he sets off on a quest that will force a confrontation.



Ultimately, there are terrible decisions to be made about Grace's fate. Everyone only wants what's best for her - but who can say exactly what that is?



Charity Norman was born in Uganda and brought up in successive draughty vicarages in Yorkshire and Birmingham. After several years' travel she became a barrister, specialising in crime and family law in the northeast of England. In 2002, realising that her three children had barely met her, she took a break from the law and moved with her family to New Zealand.



Will appeal to devotees of Joanna Trollope and Jodi Picoult...[Norman] is hot on their heels.



Easy to read, hard to put down, it'll move you to tears.