Searching For Grace
Memoir Biography Young Adult Non-Fiction Genealogy Women's History True Story Adoption Memoir Canadian History
Searching For Grace is the gripping, illustrated true story of co-author Heather Tovey’s eighteen-year quest to uncover her real identity after discovering at eighteen that the name on her birth certificate was not her own. Set against the backdrop of mid-century adoption practices and sealed records, this 2010 paperback combines biography, social history and detective work as Heather—guided by collaborator Carol Henderson—travels from small-town Ontario to dusty archives and unexpected family reunions. Young-adult and adult readers who loved The Glass Castle or Before We Were Yours will be drawn to the suspense of every new document, photograph and late-night phone call that brings Heather closer to the birth family she was never meant to find.
What makes this particular copy collectible is its deeply personal provenance: the half-title page carries a warm gift inscription (not from the authors), turning the book into a one-of-a-kind artefact rather than just another second-hand paperback. The 301 clean, un-dog-eared pages remain tight and fully readable, while the illustrated plates—many never reproduced online—add visual evidence of the people and places that shaped Heather’s journey. A discreet clear tape repair on the back cover and a single scuff on the front are noted for accuracy, but the interior is unmarked, making it an ideal reading copy for book-club discussion or private inspiration.
For buyers hunting a narrative that blends memoir, women’s history and genealogical how-to, Searching For Grace delivers both emotional payoff and practical insight into Canadian adoption disclosure laws. The book’s 2010 publication date captures the moment when sealed records first began to open, giving the story historical relevance that later reprints can’t match. Owning this inscribed, illustrated first edition means holding a tangible piece of that turning-point era—and a reminder that every family tree hides branches waiting to be claimed.
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