"Tending to Grace" is a young adult novel by Kimberly Newton Fusco, first published in 2004. The novel follows the story of 11-year-old Cornelia "Corn" Florida, who is struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother and the emotional distance of her father.
When Corn's father decides to send her to live with her grandparents in a small town in Maine, Corn is initially resistant to the idea. However, she soon begins to form close relationships with her grandmother and a group of local friends, including a boy named Sam who helps her build a garden in memory of her mother.
As Corn works through her grief and learns more about her family's history, she begins to understand the importance of love, community, and forgiveness. The novel explores themes of loss, family, friendship, and the healing power of nature.
"Tending to Grace" has been praised for its sensitive portrayal of grief and its realistic depiction of small-town life. The novel has won several awards, including the New York Public Library's Best Books for the Teen Age award, and has been widely used in classrooms and book clubs to encourage discussions about empathy, resilience, and personal growth.
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