SHAPING HOPE

Manuel explores the concept of grace and how it manifests in people’s lives in this nonfiction work.

The author here notes many moments of grace in her life, starting with the way her mother accepted Manuel back into her home after she ran away from her baby’s father and took lodging in a vacant apartment. She sees grace in being lent a book by her mother that prompted a journey of financial independence. She recounts a time her mother negotiated a lease for a new restaurant without having to put any money down with the landlord—another instance of grace, according to Manuel. The author identifies an internal grace that dissuaded her from taking the medication her doctor prescribed her to assist with the pain she was experiencing caused by professional stress. She believes this decision indirectly resulted in the transfer of her boss, whose actions bordered on sexual harassment (per Manuel) and who had been a primary source of the stress. Manuel goes on to describe grace in other contexts, and the book concludes with the lesson that finding grace in your life starts with shifting your perspective. The chapters are structured to contain anecdotes highlighting the presence of grace in Manuel’s life paired with writing prompts that readers can use to reflect on the subject for themselves. Overall, the author succeeds in providing inspiring examples of overcoming adversity (Manuel became the first Black woman on the board of a large nonprofit organization) and tying some element of those stories to grace. However, at times the author attempts to convince readers that she is somehow tackling the concept of grace in a novel way. For example, in one chapter, Manuel coins the term “matterizations,” defining them as lists “of what matters to you”; this may confuse readers who will wonder how these are distinct from priorities. But even if the book is made up of largely anecdotal illustrations of a concept that’s already been heavily explored, it is nonetheless inspiring.

A sincere consideration of grace, supplemented with helpful prompts for those searching for grace in their own lives.