Grace Period

by Haslam, Gerald W.

• ISBN13: 9780874176797
• ISBN10: 0874176794
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-08-22
• Publisher: Univ of Nevada Pr

Summary

"Grace Period is a novel about living with serious illness. Set in the cultural and natural riches of Sacramento and California's Central Valley, it is the story of two divorced, middle-aged cancer survivors, Marty Martinez and Miranda Mossi, who fall in love and resolve to make the most of whatever remains of their lives." "The story begins when Mexican American journalist Marty thinks his life can't get any worse: his beloved son has died of AIDS, his wife has divorced him and joined a cult, his daughter blames him for the disintegration of her parents' marriage, and he is estranged from his brothers and sisters. Then a chance medical examination reveals that he has prostate cancer." "Marty faces his bewildering new role as a cancer patient with awkward grit and touching desperation. He copes with fear and the painful, sometimes embarrassing, treatment of his disease, but instead of winding down his life he finds fresh purpose. He renews his faith in a Catholic Church as troubled as he is, and he meets Miranda, another cancer survivor, and falls in love. He brings new intensity to his newspaper career as he investigates far-reaching political scandals and pedophile priests. And he finds the courage to face his siblings and his angry daughter and to reunite the family."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Gerald Haslam is a professor emeritus of English at Sonoma State University and a contributing writer for WEST, Los Angels Times Sunday Magazine.