All her adult life, Grace Benedict has been living a lie. Now that deception is about to catch up with her. Thirty years ago, Grace and her college roommates--Liz, Tess, and Lovey--made a solemn vow: to hold onto their friendship, to support one another, to keep in touch through a circle journal that would make the rounds among them. And they promised always to tell each other the truth. For three decades that journal has been circulating, carrying stories of Liz’s social justice activism in Atlanta and D.C.; of Tess’s fulfilling career and perfect home life; of Lovey’s dream marriage to a wealthy and powerful former pro football player. But what is Grace to say? Her friends seem so happy and successful. She can’t bear to tell them how her life has spiraled downward since college, and she can’t bring herself to be honest about the dismal realities and bitter memories she faces every day. She never intends to deceive them--not initially, anyway. She simply embellishes the truth a little, presents her life as a bit more respectable than it really is. But over the years one exaggeration leads to another, and the fiction grows. . . . Until she discovers that she’s going to die. Alone and desolate and with little left to lose, Grace determines to take the risk of a lifetime, to reach out to Liz and Tess and Lovey again. And when they reunite, her final battle becomes their struggle as well--a quest for trust, honesty, and enduring emotional connection.

Circle of Grace: A Novel

Stokes, Penelope J.

Literature & Fiction

Random House, Large Print

Circle of Grace

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Thrillers & Suspense

DOUBLEDAY

The author of Circle of Grace hits all the right notes in this uplifting novel about the reunion of the Delta Belles, a music group that takes the country by storm in the 1960s. The year is 1965 and the Spring Fling Talent Show is in the works at the Mississippi College for Women, a proper Southern institution. As a joke, Delta Ballou puts the names of her three best friends on the list of performers. Rising to the challenge, they agree to sing and even convince Delta to join them. Rae Dawn DuChamp plays the piano and weaves harmonies in a smoky contralto. Lacy Cantrell masters the basic guitar chords, and her twin sister, Lauren, contributes a pleasing voice. They call themselves the Delta Belles and win the talent show hands-down. What started as a lark turns into an exciting adventure. The Delta Belles perform at protests and voter registration rallies across the country. As graduation draws near, all the Delta Belles seem poised for bright futures. Twenty-five years later, Delta, recently widowed and angry at God, is asked to get the Belles together to perform at their college reunion. Lacy and Lauren haven’t spoken to each other in years, and Rae Dawn has been beset by overwhelming losses. Their reunion turns out to be much more than an opportunity to relive the past. As the old friends reconnect, they come to a new understanding of the meaning and value of their lives.

Delta Belles: A Novel

United States

Doubleday Religion

A touching novel full of Southern comfort for fans of Joshilyn Jackson and Fannie Flagg. Dell Haley's mama always said there were two things a man couldn't get enough of: good cookin' and good lovin'. Well, Dell knows she's got the cookin' down pat, but her husband is getting more than his fair share of lovin'-in another woman's bed. And when he dies there, Dell's predictable life comes to a screeching halt. Short on money and education, Dell turns to the one thing that has never let her down: her cooking. For the first time in her life, Dell takes a huge risk and opens a restaurant in a derelict diner on the west end of town. The cafe gradually becomes a gathering place for a motley crew of people who become Dell's family. And yet, even as her life becomes more solid, Dell is plagued by the memory of her husband's betrayal-but the answers she seeks may have a higher price than she's willing to pay.

Heartbreak Cafe

Penguin Publishing Group

For fans of Fannie Flagg-the acclaimed author of Heartbreak Cafe delivers a heartwarming, hilarious new novel. Twenty-three years ago, beauty queen Peach Rondell left Mississippi and vowed never to return. Now she's back, divorced and heartbroken, trying to figure out how her life went so terribly wrong. To escape her mama's scrutinizing gaze, she spends her days in a little storefront diner called the Heartbreak Cafe, where, in the back booth, she scribbles away in her journal, waiting for enlightenment. Instead, Peach gets something even better: the unexpected friendship of an unlikely group of folks who show Peach that finding out where you're going usually means embracing where you're from.

The Book of Peach

Dramas & Plays

BERKLEY

Random House Audio |

When tragedy occurs, four friends come together in a bittersweet reunion and are forced to confront the falsehoods and also embrace the truth in their lives.On college graduation day, Grace and her friends—Liz, Tess, and Lovey—agreed to keep a journal that would make the rounds. They vowed to always be truthful.For three decades, the journal has been circulating, carrying stories of Liz’s missions against social injustices, Tess’s successful career and home life, and Lovey’s fairy-tale marriage to a former pro football player-turned-executive. As for Grace, she never intends to deceive her seemingly content friends. She can’t bear to admit how her life has spiraled downward and the dismal realities she faces everyday. So at first, she simply embellishes the truth, omitting a few details from her entries. But over the years, one exaggeration leads to another until most of the life she has written is fiction.Now Grace is extremely ill. Alone and desolate with nothing to lose, she reaches out to her friends. Reunited, they help her face the battle of her life while embarking on the most important struggle of their own lives—the fight for honesty and friendship.

The author of Circle of Grace hits all the right notes in this uplifting novel about the reunion of the Delta Belles, a music group that takes the country by storm in the 1960s. The year is 1965 and the Spring Fling Talent Show is in the works at the Mississippi College for Women, a proper Southern institution. As a joke, Delta Ballou puts the names of her three best friends on the list of performers. Rising to the challenge, they agree to sing and even convince Delta to join them. Rae Dawn DuChamp plays the piano and weaves harmonies in a smoky contralto. Lacy Cantrell masters the basic guitar chords, and her twin sister, Lauren, contributes a pleasing voice. They call themselves the Delta Belles and win the talent show hands-down. What started as a lark turns into an exciting adventure. The Delta Belles perform at protests and voter registration rallies across the country. As graduation draws near, all the Delta Belles seem poised for bright futures. Twenty-five years later, Delta, recently widowed and angry at God, is asked to get the Belles together to perform at their college reunion. Lacy and Lauren haven’t spoken to each other in years, and Rae Dawn has been beset by overwhelming losses. Their reunion turns out to be much more than an opportunity to relive the past. As the old friends reconnect, they come to a new understanding of the meaning and value of their lives.

Delta Belles

Broadway Books

When tragedy occurs, four friends come together in a bittersweet reunion and are forced to confront the falsehoods and also embrace the truth in their lives. On college graduation day, Grace and her friends—Liz, Tess, and Lovey—agreed to keep a journal that would make the rounds. They vowed to always be truthful. For three decades, the journal has been circulating, carrying stories of Liz’s missions against social injustices, Tess’s successful career and home life, and Lovey’s fairy-tale marriage to a former pro football player-turned-executive. As for Grace, she never intends to deceive her seemingly content friends. She can’t bear to admit how her life has spiraled downward and the dismal realities she faces everyday. So at first, she simply embellishes the truth, omitting a few details from her entries. But over the years, one exaggeration leads to another until most of the life she has written is fiction. Now Grace is extremely ill. Alone and desolate with nothing to lose, she reaches out to her friends. Reunited, they help her face the battle of her life while embarking on the most important struggle of their own lives—the fight for honesty and friendship.

Genre Fiction

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stokes, Penelope J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Stokes, Penelope J.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stokes, Penelope J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Circle of Grace: A Novel

Circle of Grace

Delta Belles: A Novel

Heartbreak Cafe

The Book of Peach

Circle of Grace: A Novel

Circle of Grace: A Novel

Delta Belles: A Novel

Delta Belles

Circle of Grace: A Novel