Act of Grace

Set around the time of the 2003 Iraq War, Act of Grace contains seven linked short stories about family, violence, fear, and sacrifice. Toohey, an Australian soldier in Baghdad, returns home with shrapnel lodged in his neck, haunted by memories, looking for rocks to throw at his young son, Gerry. Robbie, a teenager in Melbourne, self-destructs after her father develops early onset dementia. Nasim, an Iraqi girl whose mother helps Saddam with his poetry, calls the dictator 'Uncle' and rides his horses, until her parents begin to resist the regime's grip. Searing, complex and incredibly moving, Act of Grace is a powerful examination of relationships between parents and children, trauma and survival, and what people will do to outrun the shadows.