“Reader, beware…you don’t just read Visible Signs; you inhabit it. In luminous prose, Marcus tells the story of two women in the turbulent 1970s—Jude, a Catholic nun, and her childhood friend Connie, now a wife and mother—both questioning their vows and chafing against the frustrations of their very different paths. In a small town in upstate New York they find themselves on parallel quests, rethinking cherished assumptions about family and friendship, love and faith… and making choices that will change their lives forever.”

“Anyone who has stood on the cusp of change will relate to these characters, who comb through their pasts and examine the shards at their feet for clues to the true calling that will carry them forward. A historical novel that speaks to the daunting freedoms of our times.”

“In Visible Signs you’ll meet and fall in love with . . . old friends making new starts, both painful and promising. Like the Mary garden planted in the story, what is planted comes to fruition, feeding the deer as well as these two strong characters who know the price to be paid for claiming themselves. I loved it from start to finish.”

“For Sister Jude, a life of service to others takes on new meaning as she works to feed the hungry in her community and help a friend fleeing a dissolving marriage. Author Grace Marcus gives us these people with verve and compassion, from the nuns to the immigrants, from a traditional Italian family to the sensitive farmer who might just shift Sister Jude’s plans. This story of women re-examining their lives in the 1970s resonates strongly with our own times.”

 “I was gripped by Jude’s character and dilemma and by the vivid depiction of life in the monastery. Visible Signs is a wonderful novel, one that will captivate its readers!”