Based on an actual event well-known to British children but less familiar in this country, Grace recounts the hazardous rescue of a ship-wrecked vessel by Grace Darling and her father in 1838. Praise for the lighthouse dwellers' bravery is quickly tempered by hostility from the townspeople who accuse the Darlings of stealing the reward away from the local lifeboat rescue team. The Darlings' life is changed forever, as they deal with both fame and resentment. Grace becomes a 19th century media superstar, receiving letters, gifts, and daily visits from an adoring public. The unwanted attention wears on Grace, and she soon succumbs to illness and death. While the authentic dialect may be challenging to some readers, this exciting account of heroism and its unpleasant aftermath is a fascinating, fast-paced novel. (Age 14 and older)

On September 7, 1838, twenty-two-year-old Grace Darling and her father rowed a small boat through turbulent seas to rescue the survivors of a shipwreck. Based on true accounts, this is the story of a woman whose quiet life crumbled around her after she became a national hero.