Reviews of A Place Called Grace - A Place Called Grace

My First (but not last) Memoir

A Place Called Grace shares the story of a very brave and passionate young woman who moves to Italy to find love and herself. How many of us would move to a foreign country with no job, not knowing anyone and not speaking the language? Take this journey with Alison. At times you may laugh and you may even shed a tear. You won’t be disappointed.

LaurenVerified Amazon review

Loved It

In this memoir, Alison embarks on a journey of self-discovery with unexpected turns. This is very honest, raw and challenging journey of Alison; true picture of challenges one faces in life. Beautifully written and very relatable to many. Expect to hold your breath and root for Alison at times. It was perfect weekend read and I enjoyed every page. Hopefully I will have a chance to read more books by Alison Rand.

LindaVerified Amazon review

When in Rome…

The well-written and fast paced story of a courageous soul, a thirty-something single woman from Manhattan. At a time when many woman her age are settling down, either with their career, family or both, she did what many only dream of: Jetting off to a foreign land—in this case Rome, Italy—on a wing and a prayer and with no return ticket home; seeking romance along with professional fulfillment while becoming immersed in the Roman way of life.

And perhaps “immersed” is too delicate a term. After all, the book recounts not only her untiring efforts to find work in the Italian movie industry in Rome, but also provides a vivid depiction of her dizzying series of romantic connections with one charming European after another. The sort of tales with the potential to make her the envy of so many red-blooded woman this side of Milan.
But if none of these relationships lasted then some may argue that on another level this book is all about a woman whose traumatic early life experiences set the stage for a lifetime of commitment avoidance. Perhaps her decision to drop everything for Italy was just a symptom of her past. Well, if life dealt her lemons early on, then, at least for a brief period in her thirties, she took those lemons to Italy and made some lemonade, or should we say Biscotti with a nice Chianti. Saluti

Robert BriereVerified Amazon review

Authentic, affecting portrait of the actress life

A fast-paced, well-written, lay-it-bare memoir that balances alienation, loneliness, and loss with a sense of purpose, a tough-as-nails-actress core, and a certain game optimism. Really quite intimate and engaging, with the added benefit of offering an American ex-pat’s view on life and love in Italy.

Yun RouVerified Amazon review

Interesting Account

In this memoir, Alison Rand uproots her safe NYC life and moves to Italy, not speaking the language, or having a job. She looks for work acting, in commercials, dubbing movies, dates many, many non-committal but not totally useless men (help find her plumbers, doctors, job leads), moves many times to many apartments, where many things malfunction and she is often sick. Most people would have given up, but she keeps going on. Eventually, she moves back home and I won’t say what happens. It’s a candid, often humorous and moving account..

HLVerified Amazon review

So honest and true

This was a thoroughly engaging read. So authentic, Allison is easy to relate to and I’m always interested in family dynamics, dysfunction and the painfully honest love and companionship of a pet. Her travels and romance are whimsical and enjoyable. I particularly loved the unexpected ending. It’s what life’s all about! I could see it on the screen sort Under the Tuscan Sun(ish)

VickiVerified Amazon review

An inspiring read for challenging times

I’ve now read Alison’s lovely book twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. It is an open, honest, sometimes tragic/sometimes humorous look at a tumultuous period in her life. I recently re-read the memoir and found it both more poignant and more comforting against the backdrop of a global pandemic. “A Place Called Grace” is a reminder that challenging times will pass and we will get to the other side. Finding humor and even joy amidst difficult situations is a gift, and one that I am happy Alison has shared with us.

JKVerified Amazon review

A fresh perspective on an old topic: Life.

A Place Called Grace is honest, sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes heart-warming, but consistently engaging. Rand weaves a story which is both unique and relatable so the reader is constantly with her on her journey.
Bravo.

J. DaleyVerified Amazon review

Cathartic tales of pain and pleasure; lean and authentic

Candid. Flowing. Direct. I felt her frustration. Alison has courageously written a story of struggle against forces of life not of her own making. I wanted to keep reading because I wanted her to win. I felt the pain of her youth. I wanted life to make it right, to balance the scales. It kept me going.

A beautiful woman. Italy. Intimacy. Handsome men. Movie sets. Acting. Sex. But what of it? On the surface, it sounded like a life of glamour. She revealed it to be a myth. To a guy, it sounded sexy. But to the woman living it… it wasn’t. How does that work for her? Will that help her find the key to unlock her anxieties and insecurities?

She didn’t lose me by writing about layers of mental gyrations looking for an unlocked door in her mind. No, the words and actions were real and lean and paced in a cadence that kept me guessing when the next cycle of pain and pleasure would turn. And when her words took me into another day of disappointment I wanted to reach out and hug her. For in her candor she made me care for her because she was authentic. The gift she gave me with this book is the feeling of compassion.

Jim BarrettVerified Amazon review

This book is a find!

Alison Rand has crafted a beautiful memoir about her time in Italy. It is about throwing caution to the wind, climbing out of one’s comfort zone, and exploring what life has to offer — the good and the bad. Told with honesty and wit, there are set backs and successes (such as life), but one is always carried away with the force of her prose. I look forward to reading the sequel.

Brain MVerified Amazon review

A brave first novel–brava!

Raw, real and honest.

Marcelle RothenbergVerified Amazon review

I loved this book

Alison Rand has written a brave, introspective book about themes intrinsic to many of us: family trauma, separation, the longing for connection , love and belonging, no matter where you are. While recounting the painful details of her childhood, she is open and giving to the reader and not self conscious about sharing her disappointment and pain. You’ll also get some great chuckles. The accounts of her Roman adventures and relationships with a number of men while she lived in Italy is not only poignant but had me laughing. I read Alison’s book when I myself needed comfort after a traumatic incident in my own life. Alison’s book felt like being with a good friend, understanding, warm and oh so human.

Carol CVerified Amazon review

Enjoyed reading, very relatable.

Enjoyed A Place Called Grace by Alison Rand. A moving portrait of life’s twists and turns. Alison writes with candor and sensitivity. Each of us can relate. Recommend you read it.

H. gumbelVerified Amazon review

Finding true Grace: The Grace within.

“A Place Called Grace” is simultaneously illusive and yet within each person’s grasp. This duality captures the contrasting struggles of life in today’s world. Alison’s ability to observe herself and others is as finely honed as the sharpest knife in the draw. She is complex and courageous yet direct, honest, loving and available while trying to find her way in a world that lacks the integrity that is integral to her essence. Alison is not asking so much from life. She seeks and asks for something as simple as grace.

Penny SchwartzVerified Amazon review

This lovely book got me though a stressful flight…

I was on a stressful flight to go down to Florida and I got so immersed in Alison Rand’s book that I was able to forget about my anxiety and stress for the whole flight! I really wanted to see what happened next to Alison. I found her story so touching and very relatable on so many levels. Plus it made me yearn to go to Italy! If you want a touching, easy to read memoir- then this book is for you. I loved it!!

AliciaAmazon Verified review

Fantastic Book!

Alison’s book was a captivating read that I didn’t want to put down. It takes you on an adventure of her personal journey and you feel personally connected. A highly recommended this read for anyone!

Antonia BalintVerified Amazon review

I Loved This Book!

A feminine story that photographs a glimpse of authentic life, without constructions or hypocrisies.

It is the story of a young woman who decides to test herself and find her place in the world. And it does so without fear of analyzing and showing the reader the most intimate fears, the phobias that constantly prevent us from acting and realizing ourselves, the great hopes that secretly accompany all our choices. Like a window open on the soul! Everything is seasoned with brilliant flashes of comedy originating from the meeting of two very different cultures, from an acute observation of the human race. Without ever judging. And always keeping alive a feeling of hope, perseverance and trust.

Alison Rand has had the ability to make me feel understood, to alleviate the loneliness that is hidden within everyone, to give me the impression of having found a friend!

A beautiful book, to read in one go!

Daniela ManciniVerified Amazon Italian review

“…during this trip, she met an urbane, Italian man, and this relationship led her to move to Italy to start a new life. It’s in that country that the bulk of the memoir unfolds. There, Rand’s “existential loneliness” only temporarily relented when she expanded her circle of friends, landed acting gigs, or had the attention of a man. After three years, Rand returned home to New York City, at which point the story veers sharply from a fish-out-of-water journey to a brief exploration of grief and self-improvement. Rand writes in a matter-of-fact style throughout the memoir, which makes for a smooth read.”

Kirkusreviews.com

Heartfelt and honest!

I loved this book. Alison Rand’s story is about the connections that we all seek in our lives. No matter what road your life has taken you on (and Alison’s journey is amazing), we all seek to love and be loved. She overcomes much to find her place called Grace. We can all relate to this book because aren’t we all looking for our own place called Grace?

DonnaVerified Amazon review

Heart warming book to read !

I thoroughly enjoyed A Place Called Grace. It was both heart wrenching and heart warming at the same time. I loved Alison’s honesty and style of writing. I was able to relate to many of her experiences. I highly recommend this book It is an easy quick read and definitely very well worth it.

JaybeVerified Amazon review

A Must Read!

Alison Rand’s A Place Called Grace is a stunning debut; her satiric coming of age story set mainly in Rome is a revelation. Her strength and humor lighten the pathos of her romantic and work experiences in a foreign place. A must read!

AndyVerified Amazon UK Review

A Memoir That Decodes the Cost of Learning What Matters in Life

Once in a rare while a memoir comes along that is so searingly honest it pierces your subconscious like a laser, plunging itself deep into the defenses that allow you lie to yourself– and that let you sleepwalk through your life. A Place Called Grace by Alison Rand is such a book. From the first page it will have its way with you, and not loosen its grip till the very end. And even then–it will haunt you, and change you. Very different from “Eat, Pray Love.” You will see why. What Alison did to heal her life is real and doesn’t end with the “finding a man” solution. Her disappointments are palpable–and very relatable. Ultimately you will want to be her friend, to comfort her. Most of all, you will have entered into another person’s soul. That’s a lot to get from a memoir. Read it! Love it! Thank me!

Judy KatzVerified Amazon review

I Love This Memoir!

Alison’s memoir is a very candid, honest and, oftentimes, humorous look at her life! At the same time, I was extremely moved by her losses, health issues, a “geographic,” and all she endured, during this chapter, in her life. I admire Alison’s courage, to write about these events, and despite several tragic blows, she managed to get to the other side, with great insight, wisdom, and strength. She is very resilient, and we all have something to learn, from her experience.

GitaVerified Amazon review

I absolutely recommend this book.

This book will draw you right into it, providing a mental image of the people and places mentioned, it even gives a sense of how the main character feels and the fact that it’s a true story makes it so easy to relate to. The message I got from the story was to be persistent in following your dreams. The struggles to success are ilustrated very clearly because in life nothing is easy, I’m sure other could relate as well. A Must Read!!!!

Karina R. CastroVerified Amazon review

An absorbing and poignant page-turner

What a roller coaster ride of a memoir! Alison takes the highs and the lows in life with insight, bravery, and a rollicking sense of humor. “A Place Called Grace” is a delightful and thought provoking read!

Domenica GenoveseVerified Amazon review

A Must Read

A Place Called Grace is a brave yet vulnerable, witty, poignant, and strikingly honest account of the writer’s journey to find her path to a new chapter in her life. The conversational syle of writing immediatley draws you in to Alison’s world and experience and her story becomes instantly relatable. I could not put it down!

Reader in HartfordVerified Amazon review

A wryly touching memoir…

About living the dream and finding reality. I read it in one sitting.

lmcVerified Amazon review

Honest and Brave

Enjoyed this book immensely. Honest brave and often funny account of a period in Alison’s life. Would highly recommend it.

RichardVerified Amazon review

Surprised.

Really good book! Didn’t expect it to be so well written for a first book. Hope to see more from her. I’m from the school of Hard Knocks, too.

ElidoyleVerified Amazon review

A very personal “Plan B” that reveals strengths and possibility obstacle after obstacle

Alison Rand has a great talent for immersing the reader into her story…it is fantastic as it is so personal, emotional and written with such honesty and passion. It brings both tears and smiles depending on the chapter and feels like Alison is speaking directly with you, the reader! It is truly a page turner and cannot be put down and can bring optimism regardless of your own obstacles ahead!

Nancy GreenVerified Amazon review

A touching and beautiful read.

This was a beautifully written memoir….. very touching,eloquent and incredibly honet……. I would recommend this to anybody that has ever had life‘s experiences to overcome….. and land on their feet with dignity and grace.

MichaelVerified Amazon review

Great Book

I highly recommend this book. I read this book in one sitting because I was so drawn in by Alison’s story and captivated by her indomitable spirit. Alison’s beautifully written memoir is relatable and honest laced with wonderful touches of self-effacing humor. I loved this book and was sorry when I finished because I wanted to continue reading more about our heroine. I really hope Alison writes a sequel!

LisaVerified Amazon review

Sincere and readable memoir

From the time she was a child, Alison experiences tragic loss and challenges that seem to toughen her up for what is to come. In this eminently readable memoir, Alison confronts her parent’s divorce, separation from her siblings, notably from her beloved brother, and an ill-fated marriage which ends in divorce. As a single actress from New York, in her early thirties, she decides to start a new life in Rome. Without a lot of confidence, a job, a place to live, or comfort in Italian, the adventure begins. She reveals ingenuity, a sense of humor, willingness to make many new friends and pure grit. The combination of delightful stories of obstacles and successes in Rome and her personal problems give this memoir its strength.

Back Pack FanVerified Amazon review

A Great Book

This book is a great read with a lot of insight to life in Italy and contains an important lesson about life.

David ReibmanVerified Amazon review

Touching and honest

Her story reminded me of some of my own experiences in travel and striving to find a place in this world. This is a great read, I appreciated her vulnerability and honesty.

DeidreVerified Amazon review