Dignity and Grace

By

Alison Ragsdale

Dignity and Grace.....what a perfect title for this amazing book!  There are so many feelings going through my heart as I gather my thoughts about this poignant story of a young 11 year old girl who loses her mother to a devastating disease.  A mother she's connected to through love,  the power of music and the cello.   I loved the character of Iona from the very beginning of the book.  She grabbed my heart and didn't let go.  The turmoil and struggles she experiences after the loss of her mom, tore my heart open.  The excruciating pain of losing her mother and also losing her desire of playing the cello.  ""It makes me sad, but when I start to play, the music brings so much with it." She said."The weight of the cello, the smell of the rosin, the feel of the strings."  She tapped her fingertips together. "It's just Mum.  All of it.""  Passages like this brought tears to my eyes.  So many tears. 

The way Ms. Ragsdale wove the story together was so unique.  When Iona turns 21 she receives a letter from her father whom she's avoided since her mother's death.  A letter her mother, Grace, wrote specifically for her.  This puts Iona on a path to search for answers surrounding her mother's last days with her and why she made the choices she did.  It's a painful and difficult journey.  One in which I felt I was traveling with Iona as she walked through each new twist and shocking surprise.  ".....her overriding hope was that with each stop she might learn something about that priceless week she'd missed out on with her mother."  

The supporting characters in the book are no less endearing.  They complimented the journey Iona was taking in a perfect way.  They supported her and were there for her with love, advice and compassion.    Each one guiding and encouraging her to the next step in her journey.  They, too, are written in depth and I felt I knew them well.  

Alison Ragsdale's stories are so deeply emotional and written with such intricate attention to details. The story is never rushed but every word is built upon the ones before to create a passionately moving story between the covers of the book.   I have read other books by Ms. Ragsdale and each one has touched me in ways I never knew a book would.  Dignity and Grace is no exception.  I have just finished this one and my emotions are raw and exposed in a most Alison Ragsdale way.   She has the ability to trancend words on a page and craft a story that I become completely immersed in.  From the beginning prologue my heart was captured.   

I not only emotionally read this book as Iona searched for answers, I also experienced a visit to the vistas of Scotland through the vivid descriptions Ms. Ragsdale interspersed throughout the pages. Again, the attention to details is exceptional.  In my mind I could vividly see the settings of each scene with a clarity as if I were actually there.  I "lived" this book with Iona.  A story of "Dignity and Grace" and the journey to discover the meaning of it.  

I want to sincerely thank  Ms. Ragsdale for the honor and privilege of reading this emotional journey I took in  this fantastic book.  It truly touched my heart.  All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own.