Saying Grace is set in the close-knit community of a country day school on California's gold coast. It has been shaped and nourished for almost two decades by the headmistress, Rue Shaw, a woman of extraordinary character, quiet dignity, and steely resolve. A passionate educator, a devoted wife, and a loving mother of a daughter on the brink of adulthood, Rue seems to be reaping the benefits of a life lived properly and wisely. Then unexpected changes creep into Rue's carefully composed professional and personal shelters. At school, a question of whether a fifth-grader is being abused at home sets off a clash of values and cultures that profoundly shakes the entire community. At home, a chilling tragedy and an unsettling secret threaten to derail Rue's pattern of perseverance. 

Saying Grace is about the fragility of happiness and the strength of convictions, about keeping faith and adhering to principles whether it keeps one safe or not. It is about the comfort of the familiar, and the charm of a special community guided by integrity and common sense and shaken by inevitable human failing.