Graced Land

The spirit of Elvis hovers over this powerful novel, the story of the indomitable Joyce (Rejoice) Jackson, keeper of the flame, a famous front porch shrine to Elvis. With the King's healing help, Joyce resists the forces that can break a woman's heart - the men in her life, the welfare system and poverty. Joyce's unsophisticated case worker, Miss Emily Shaw, plans to be a social worker only until her fiance finishes law school, but once assigned to Joyce Jackson's case, Emily's life revs up. And how. Entwined with Joyce's unique family, her two daughters, Priscilla and Lisa Marie, Emily finds herself propelled into the midst of a huge cast of exuberant characters, from Holy Rollers to rock 'n' rollers, from cops to robbers. Rejoice Jackson knows how to deal creatively with those institutions where society tosses its castoffs, the county hospital, the county jail, the welfare rolls, and garage sales.