Anthony Doerr
About Grace by Anthony Doerr tells the story of David Winkler, a trained hydrologist with a gift (or, is it a curse?) for dreaming of things that come true in his waking life. As a young boy, he dreams of a man with a hat box being hit by a bus as he exits from a shop. A few days later, he points the man out to his mother. They watch in horror as the man exits the store only to get hit by a bus. This event just gives us a taste of what is to come.
As an adult, David dreams of the circumstances in which he will meet the woman he falls in love with and later marries. It comes true. He later dreams of a flood in which his infant daughter drowns while he tries to save her. To avoid that fate, he abandons his wife and daughter by escaping to St. Vincent where he spends the next 25 years living in a shed and doing odd jobs. He is befriended by a family of exiles from Chile—Soma, Felix, their two sons, and their daughter, Naaliyah. He dreams of Naaliyah accidentally drowning in the ocean and rescues her when his dream is about to materialize.
Eventually, David returns to the United States to seek his wife and Grace, his daughter. He learns of his wife’s death. He tries to reconcile with Grace and her young son with little success until he manages to save his wife’s first husband after dreaming of his impending heart attack.
Although the novel has some beautifully descriptive passages of ice crystals, rain, and cloud formations grounded in detailed observation of the physical environment, there is a tendency to overdo it. These extensive descriptions detract from the narrative, drag it down in lengthy details, and stunt character development. Nature takes a prominent role with an emphasis on describing it in lyrical prose. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of other elements of the narrative, interrupting flow and coherence.