Karen Simpson

ACT OF GRACE by Karen Simpson

Why would Grace Johnson, a bright, African-American high school senior, save the life of a Ku Klux Klansman named Jonathan Gilmore?

That question hovers over Grace’s hometown of Vigilant, Michigan, and few people, black or white, understand her actions—especially since rumor has it that many years ago, a member of the Gilmore family murdered several African-American residents. And if Grace had her way, she would not reveal the circumstances that led her to make what some deem to be a foolish sacrifice and an act of treason against her race.

The decision to remain silent, however, is not Grace’s to make, for the spirit of her ancestors have emerged and insist, in ways Grace cannot ignore, that she bear witness to the violent racial history that continues to divide the town of Vigilant. But when Grace discovers a century-old tale of a bloadsoaked, eye-for-eye vengeance that includes the mysterious death of her own father, she questions whether she has the ability and the will to accept the mind-bending spiritual challenge in front of her.

As Grace reluctantly embarks on the unlikeliest of journeys and into the magical world of the African-American traditions used by her ancestors to fight slavery and oppression, she undergoes a spiritual transformation that leads to the true nature of her calling: to lead Jonathan Gilmore, the town of Vigilant and her own soul on a path toward reconciliation, redemption and true grace.

 

KAREN SIMPSON was born in Detroit Michigan, and received her bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry, M.A. in Foreign Language and International Trade and M.S. in Historic Preservation from Eastern Michigan University. She has worked for the University of Michigan for over 30 years in Student Financial Services, and currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Act of Grace is her debut novel. Please visit her website: www.karensimpsonwrites.com