Hart, Beth Webb 1971–

PERSONAL: Born 1971, in SC; married Edward Hart (a composer and music instructor); children: Frances. Education: Hollins College, B.A.; Sarah Lawrence College, M.F.A.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Westbow Press, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Creative writing teacher; director of Christian education in South Carolina.

AWARDS, HONORS: South Carolina Fiction Project award, South Carolina Arts Commission, 2000, for "Let the Dove Come In."

WRITINGS:

Grace at Low Tide (Christian novel), Westbow Press (Nashville, TN), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Beth Webb Hart's debut novel, Grace at Low Tide, is set in South Carolina, where Hart was born. The protagonist of this Christian novel is DeVeaux DeLoach. When her father's business fails, DeVeaux leaves St. Mary's Boarding School in Richmond, and the family relocates from their upscale Charleston home to a caretaker's cottage on Rose Hill Plantation on the island of Edisto.

From their new home, DeVeaux's father, Billy, can see the nearby development that was responsible for his company's losses, and as the story progresses, he becomes more abusive toward his family. He orders his wife to get a job and mocks her appearance. DeVeaux also takes a job as a waitress and returns to Charleston to attend her youth group meetings. Her first real date is with the group's leader, C.C.

Several critics praised Grace at Low Tide. In a review for the Faithful Reader Web site, Marcia Ford wrote that "there's never the slightest hint of preachiness in this faith-rich story." Mike Parker noted in a review for BookPage online that Hart "has created characters that are full-bodied and resonant."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 1, 2005, John Mort, review of Grace at Low Tide, p. 24.

Publishers Weekly, June 6, 2005, review of Grace at Low Tide, p. 42.

ONLINE

Beth Webb Hart Home Page, http://www.bethwebbhart.com (November 10, 2005).

BookPage, http://www.bookpage.com/ (November 11, 2005), Mike Parker, review of Grace at Low Tide.

Charleston City Paper Online, http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/ (November 10, 2005), Jason A. Zwiker, review of Grace at Low Tide and interview with Hart.

Faithful Reader, http://www.faithfulreader.com/ (November 11, 2005), Marcia Ford, review of Grace at Low Tide.

Nelson Ministry Services Web site, http://www.nelsonministryservices.com/ (November 10, 2005), profile of Hart.