Every now and then we come across a memoir that is much more than a life story.
Moments of Grace by Kāpiti writer Grace Terry is a very engaging personal reflection but more than that it is a valuable social history.
Grace 86, who lives in Paraparaumu, is a descendant of the great warrior and King of Scotland Robert the Bruce. Fittingly she was born in Dunedin (Edinburgh of the south) at the beginning of WWII.
Grace takes us on her journey through the war and after war years, massive earthquakes, family tragedies, the joy of children and substantially covers her lifetime of service in the New Zealand nursing profession.
This memoir is superbly researched and captures the intensity of the times throughout. Grace’s approach is honest and direct, with humour and pathos and importantly it is immensely readable.
This book should be in every library in the country and certainly in every Medical Centre and Hospital waiting room.
Another excellent and unusual aspect to this memoir is the number of recipes that are dotted throughout the book.
Last word goes to Grace who says in the Epilogue; “Sometimes, by writing your memoirs, you have lived through something that will offer others a way to navigate dangerous waters or inspire others to rise to new heights. I needed to make sense of what happened, find a silver lining in tragedy, and finally appreciate and release my past events. I believe I have achieved this by writing my story, and would urge others to do this too.”
Moments of Grace by Grace Terry – Reviewed by Nigel Wilson