Dianne Greco author of In the Hands of Grace stopped by Hands and Home today to discuss her favourte chapter in her novel. If you did not catch my review of In the Hands of Grace you can see it here.

My favorite chapter would be chapter eight. Susan is feeling restless after an altercation with her friend Patsy at the day spa where she was treated to a new hairdo, a facial and more information about her husband than she really cared to know.

On a whim, she pops in on Grace, and finds the table oddly set with coffee mugs for two. She wonders if Grace was expecting company, only to find out that she had been waiting for Susan to come over. Once again, Susan is taken aback by Grace’s clairvoyance.

They chat about the spa, the herbs in Grace’s kitchen, and the subject of her deceased husband come up. Before she knows it, Susan is baring her soul to Grace about the less than wonderful marriage they had, and ends up sobbing in Grace’s arms.

In an effort to help Susan get her mind off the awful events of the day, Grace takes Susan by the hand and leads her outside to her canoe resting on the shore.

Susan is terrified at the thought of going out at night in a canoe with an elderly woman, but Grace manages to get her in and in no time they are floating in a sea of stars and water, with no beginning and no end.

It is here that Susan learns to overcome her unfounded fear of the water and relaxes into the ride and the incredible beauty of the endless night sky. I think this chapter mirrors the fear she had of finding out the truth about her husband and the lesson that once a fear is faced head on, it becomes easier and easier to resolve.