In a sheltered valley paradise in southern Manitoba, a community of Mennonites have tried to insulate themselves from the rest of the world, following the strictest traditions of culture and religion. But they cannot entirely escape the pressures of the outside world.
It's the 1950s, and there's polio, the Korean War, and a massive installation of underground ballistic missiles right across the US border. The Mennonites have come to this place precisely because they'd been promised peace and freedom from armed conflict of any kind. Yet they find themselves right next to the greatest arsenal of destructive weapons ever assembled.
In Places of Grace, David Elias lets us see into the heart and soul of this community through the eyes of his young central characters, Steven and Trudy Zacharias. It's an intimate, surprising, compassionate, and often humorous vision. These linked stories begin with Steven and Trudy in grade school, trying to make sense out of their parents' behaviour, their own sexuality, and the contradictions of the culture they see around them. The collection closes with several stories focused on the later lives of the parents, Clarence and Nettie.
