In the Company of Grace: A Veterinarian's Memoir of Trauma and Healing

by Jody Lulich Narrated by James Fouhey

Overview

Rising to accept a prestigious award, Jody Lulich wondered what to say. Describe how caring for helpless, voiceless animals in his own shame and pain provided a lifeline, a chance to heal himself as well? Lulich tells his story in In the Company of Grace, a memoir about finding courage in compassion and strength in healing-and power in finally confronting the darkness of his youth.



Lulich's white father and Black mother met at a civil rights rally, but love was no defense against their personal demons. His mother's suicide and his sometimes brutal father's subsequent withdrawal set Lulich on a course from the South Side of Chicago to the Tuskegee School of Veterinary Medicine in Alabama to an endowed chair at the University of Minnesota. Though shadowed by troubling secrets, his memoir also features scenes of surprising light and promise. Most consequentially, at Tuskegee Lulich rents a room in the home of a seventy-five-year-old Black woman named Grace, whose wholehearted adoption of him-and her own stories of the Jim Crow era-finally gives him a sense of belonging and possibility.



Completing his book amid the furor over George Floyd's murder, Lulich reflects on all the ways that race has shaped his life. In the Company of Grace is a moving testament to the power of compassion in the face of seemingly overwhelming circumstances.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"In the Company of Grace is haunting and powerful. Jody Lulich has written an absorbing meditation on his lifelong journey from a helpless child who witnesses his beloved mother take her own life, to finding acceptance through the unconditional love of an elderly woman and redemption in caring for animals. An unforgettable and inspiring memoir."—Carolyn Holbrook, author of Tell Me Your Names and I Will Testify

"Despite suffering true tragedies as a child, Jody Lulich grew up to be a veterinarian who shows deep compassion to both people and animals. His devotion to his mentor and mother figure, Grace Hooks, inspires admiration and an understanding of a true loving relationship. Don't miss this remarkable book."—Laura Shaine Cunningham, author of Sleeping Arrangements

"Lulich's memoir is raw, introspective, and honest."—Insight News

 

Product Details

BN ID:	2940191992051
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	11/12/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged