I read this book in a day – it breezed right along. Minerva is a delightful character, especially for this older reader. She doesn’t make friends easily, preferring the company of the characters she creates in her head for the book she is writing. In fact, they are more real to her than some of her neighbors.

When a young boy in the neighborhood injects himself into her life she is quite resistant but somehow he keeps coming back. Soon, tragedy and Minerva and the boy’s family are brought together whether either side likes it or not.

A truly compelling book dealing with intergenerational relationships and finding a family outside of the one in which you are born. It can be as strong a bond as blood in some cases, maybe stronger if you choose to make it that way.

Not a flashy book, but one definitely worth reading.

I received a free copy for my honest review ( )

4.5⭐️

In 1952 Paducah, Kentucky, we meet church organist and piano teacher Mrs. Minerva Place, a widow in her fifties. Minerva lives alone and her social life is limited to pleasantries exchanged during brief interactions with others and occasional visits from her immediate neighbor Nella. Minerva prefers her solitude and is often annoyed with having to deal with others. She frequents Oak Grove Cemetery where, after studying the gravestones and markers, she researches the lives of the deceased denizens who spark her interest following which she writes up semi-fictional ( she likes to fill in the blanks with her carefully thought-out details) biographies, which she does not share with anyone. What makes her pastime rather interesting ( also at times alarming, prompting her to question her own sanity) are the “visits” from those who are the subject of her research. Minerva’s life is disrupted when she meets six-year-old George Robert McAlpin who recently moved into the neighborhood with his widower father. The McAlpins gradually find a way into her life and her heart, triggering a sequence of events that has Minerva taking stock of her life and reevaluating her priorities.

“People can surprise you.”

With its consistent pacing, superb characterizations ( both past and present residents of Paducah), a good dose of humor and an engaging narrative Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace by Tracey D. Buchanan is a beautifully penned, heartwarming novel that touches upon themes, of isolation, loneliness, self-acceptance, friendship, kindness, forgiveness and faith. The depiction of life in a small town is delightful. Minerva’s observations of the people around her make for some interesting reading as do her interactions with the ghostly apparitions who share parts of their stories with her. Minerva’s journey and her backstory are so real and relatable. She is not your typical grumpy senior who generally dislikes other people, but someone who has always felt alone and unloved which is why she shies away from attachments of any kind. She harbors insecurities and deep sorrow, which we come to know of as the narrative progresses. I loved how the author develops her story and paces her interactions with George and Robert, in keeping with her character. Robert’s backstory, which was revealed in a rush toward the end of the novel, could have been explored in more depth, but this does not detract from the overall reading experience. I loved how Minerva’s research and the life stories of the deceased residents motivate her to look at her own life from a fresh perspective. The author also incorporates historical details of Paducah into the narrative, referencing true events and well-known individuals who had their roots in Paducah. Overall, this is a beautiful story that left me with a lump in my throat and a smile on my face. Read this one with your heart and you won’t be disappointed!

Many thanks to Regal House Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

“No one should ever have to fit into someone else’s mold. Each of us should get to follow our own heart, develop our own talents, pursue our own dreams.” ( )

Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2023/06/foodfic-please-welcome-tracey-buchanan.htm...

This novel cracked me up, think of Grumpy Old Men but a lead female character. Minerva likes things in their places, quite and business kept to itself. Feeling she might be losing it in her old age, she has found that as she researches deceased in the local cemetery they have decided to visit her to set their stories straight from what she uncovers about them, as well as the tidbits her imagination fills in to complete a story. Keeping her little side project to herself she continues her research even with nosy neighbors and the librarian often inquiring into what she does in the cemetery and her research at the library. When a man and his six year old son moves in and little George upends all she has done to keep herself isolated and things just how she likes them. Still learning proper etiquette George spies on her in the cemetery and makes it known to his father that Minerva talks to the dead. With each incident that Minerva tries to distance herself from them, something else pulls them back into her life and a terrible accident shows her that maybe life might be better if she allowed others in. I really enjoyed Minerva as a character, she really made me laugh at times and I loved how the author gave background on her childhood to help explain how she had gotten where she had and also added the history of those she was researching. Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite and to the author for the free novel. I will be reading more by Tracey. ( )

Minerva didn’t really like people. She tolerated her piano students. She preferred her seat at the organ on Sunday mornings to the banalities of social time. Her experiences in life formed her attitude. Belittled by her mother, ignored by her father, and considered too tall and plain she felt lucky to have married, even if her marriage was a bad one.

What Minerva does enjoy is visiting the cemetery. She traces the ancient tombstones then researches the deceased at her beloved local Carnegie library, then writes their stories. When she get stuck, sometimes the dead visit her at night to point the way.

Everything changes when a young widower and his son move into town. They decided that Minerva, the ‘lonely widow’, would be the perfect surrogate grandmother.

Against her wishes and desires, the boy worms his way into her heart. Then, a tragic accident leaves her in limbo and filled with guilt. In the end, Minerva learns what life is like at the corner of mercy and peace.

Minerva’s caustic humor made me laugh. She is a wonderful character. I enjoyed the writing. Minerva and I share an interest in researching the past and people we don’t even know. There is an overt Christian message. It’s an uplifting book.

I received an ARC through Caitlin Hamilton Summie Marketing in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. ( )