In the Grip of Grace - Paperbackby Marianne Mersereau (Author) Marianne Mersereau draws from the rich storytelling "porch culture" of her native Southern Highlands of Appalachia to create, In the Grip of Grace, a memoir in verse replete with wild ghost tales, mythologies and folklores of the unique characters who populate the pages. Themes of family, nature, grief, and the long lasting impacts of war are explored. The narrative poems serve as witness to both triumphs and losses and