State of Grace Author:Joy Williams Nominated for the national Book Award in 1974, Joy Williams's State of Grace is the dark, powerful story of a young woman's coming to terms with despair and tragedy. Her escape from her father's possessiveness into a romance eclipsed by death leads to an odd, almost biblical acceptance of life. By turns witty, erotic, and fateful, State of Grace... more » is a daring book by one of America's finest writers.« less