Shirley Riley Seltzer

Grace . . . Within and Without: a Novel Shirley Riley Seltzer

In 1949, Grace Murphree is three years old when she first remembers thinking about God. Growing up in the sleepy community of Ocean Shores, Florida, Grace finds that life presents her with many challenges and that she often needs to seek God's guidance. Grace struggles through a turbulent childhood in a dysfunctional family as her parents divorce. She experiences a teenage pregnancy that leaves her heartbroken. She suffers the tragic loss of her beloved sister who commits suicide. She raises her children as a single mother. But she also reaps the joys of motherhood, home ownership, and a fulfilling life. Though her trials and tribulations have often had her living in a pervasive state of ongoing disruption to her psyche, the steadfast and tenacious Grace doesn't let life keep her downtrodden for long. In addition to her reliance on faith, she lives by the motto, "Where there is a will, there is a way."