Grace. This book expands on the word, the feeling, the emotion, and most of all the action of grace. Who knew you could read an entire book about one seemingly simple word. But it’s not. It’s complex. It’s life changing. It’s a lifestyle.


Margaret Allen expounds on grace. She breaks it down into bits and pieces that even I can understand, see, and feel down in my soul. Her examples are real. Related scriptures are abundant. The word “grace” has never been so real in my life until I was reading this book.

While reading I saw grace, or the lack of it, everywhere in my life. From homeschooling my son to grocery shopping, grace overflows. It brings me a similar feeling as when I read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Feelings that are more alive and real in my every day interactions and observations.

Gracious Living is a book that I pray will remain in my heart and in my connections with others. It’s about slowing down responses to really think about how it could be received. It’s about giving others the benefit of the doubt that they’re not perfect and I don’t expect them to be.

This book published on September 1. Gracious Living by Margaret Allen was provided complimentary from Carpenter’s Son Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book deserves the highest rating of five out of five tiaras because it is truly life changing and it is altering me and my life. It will surely change yours, too!

I have many thoughts on this book both as a reader and a scholar. I think the basic subject matter was good and also relevant for a lot of women of various ages, but mainly to those younger women who struggle with the issues she address. She speaks from her own experiences and then threads them into a better way of looking and handling things.
I also liked the formatting and the question areas to look at as they apply to the reader. Good thoughts to ponder.
What I had a problem with was the insertion of biblical texts. I found them distracting, disrupts the flow of the book and truthfully not necessary. With the bulk of those removed, this would be a much better, easier read and appeal to a bigger audience.

Too religious and preachy for me. Didn’t feel it was as sensitive or helpful as it purported to be. I don’t think it lived up to its description and was definitely not the book I hoped it would be sorry. I am still very grateful for being allowed a copy.