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Title details for Grace Period by Gerald W. Haslam - Available

Grace Period

A Novel

by Gerald W. Haslam
ebook
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A masterpiece by one of the West's best-loved authorsJust when Sacramento journalist Marty Martinez thinks his life can't get any worse, it does. His beloved son has died of AIDS, his wife has divorced him and joined a cult, and his daughter blames him for the disintegration of their family. Then a chance medical examination reveals that he has prostate cancer. Marty faces his new role as a cancer patient with awkward grit and desperation. He is a sympathetic, utterly convincing character seeking faith in a Catholic Church as troubled as he is. He brings increased intensity to his career as he investigates a far-reaching political scandal, reunites his family in unexpected ways, and finds love with a fellow cancer patient. Grace Period is a profound and sometimes hilarious novel about living with serious illness. Marty copes with fear and the painful, sometimes embarrassing, treatment of his disease, but instead of winding down his life he finds fresh purpose and a joyful new love. Haslam brilliantly depicts the complexities of everyday life and the intricate, sometimes tortured bonds of family and friendship. In Grace Period, Haslam shows us that existence at the precarious edge of life offers not only pain and loss but hope, a chance at redemption, love, and even happiness. Grace Period is his masterwork.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Western Literature and Fiction

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 22, 2006

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780874176858

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780874176858
      • File size: 475 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 5, 2006
      Sacramento journalist and lapsed Catholic, Martin Martinez has seen his once fulfilling life flame out: his son has died of AIDS, his marriage is over, his daughter hates him and his siblings wrote him off after he let their mother die alone. Not to mention, he's diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after coming a matchstick's distance to self-immolation in his backyard. As urologists and oncologists prod Marty's tender parts and offer conflicting information about treatment, he marries the eminently patient and understanding cancer-survivor physician, Miranda. With her help, Marty accepts that cancer isn't a punishment from God but just a bunch of cells gone wild. He also reconciles with his family, looks again to the church for support and learns the difference between a "grace period" and a cure. Haslam's (Straight White Male
      ) portrait of the community Marty grew up in rings true, but his didactic prose makes this read like a primer on prostate cancer and a thin treatise on problems facing the Catholic Church, though some will find Marty's story—and his uneasy redemption—inspirational.

    • Library Journal

      August 15, 2006
      Marty Martinez seems to have hit rock bottom. His beloved son died of AIDS, his wife left him for a religious cult, his daughter won't talk to him, and he's been estranged from his siblings ever since his mother died. Then he is diagnosed with prostate cancer, and his whole world completely falls apart. As Marty starts to deal with his illness, however, he discovers what's important to him: his faith as a Catholic, his relationship with his family, and rediscovery of love with a new woman in his life. Although Marty's story is not unique, the approach is different. Not only does Haslam ("Straight White Male") address the intimate and often embarrassing issues associated with prostate cancer, but he offers a brave, honest, ethical, and sensitive protagonist who often struggles with issues relating to his Hispanic culture and upbringing. Although the detailed writing style sometimes slows down the story, the novel's appeal grows in proportion to Marty's development as a complex character who learns how to experience life to its fullest. Recommended for large public libraries." -Kellie Gillespie, City of Mesa Lib., AZ"

      Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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