Full of Grace and Mischief

From the moment they meet at a Catholic summer camp in Savannah, Georgia, Mary Margaret and Theresa, polar opposites, become inseparable. Each summer, they embark on wild adventures, exploring waterways, pulling pranks, and challenging boys to daring contests. But one prank too many gets them banned from camp, and the nuns can’t shield them from the real world forever. As tragedy strikes, their friendship is forged in both joy and hardship.

The girls carry their bond to the beaches of Tybee and through the trials of a Catholic high school, where they face bullies, first romances, loss, and heartbreak. As their lives begin to diverge, Mary Margaret and Theresa struggle to hold onto the friendship that once seemed unbreakable. Can they find a way to salvage their connection as they enter the unpredictable world of adulthood?

The first in a generational trilogy, Full of Grace and Mischief vividly captures the coming-of-age experiences of two young women in the Deep South, celebrating their resilience and the enduring strength of friendship.

Maureen Pacifici Smith and Fran Thomas, co-authors and neighbors, live and work in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia. They were inspired to write the Full of Grace series to preserve a snapshot of growing up in the South in the sixties. While vacationing together a few years ago, a nostalgic conversation sparked the idea. They realized that even though they had grown up in different towns, their experiences and circumstances were very similar and begged to be recorded in a fast-changing world.

Maureen has been a commercial interior designer and space planner for over thirty-five years. She continues to work almost full-time in her own design business and with a local commercial furniture dealership. She balances her work with traveling with her husband David and writing with Fran.

Fran received her BFA from Auburn University. While working as a graphic artist, she continued to paint, studying summers with Henry Henche at the Cape School, and traveling many times to Italy to paint en plein air. In 2003 when her husband Hue retired, they returned to their native Savannah and opened Gallery 440. In 2020, she closed the gallery to write and paint full-time. Taking writing classes and workshops spurred her on to realize a twin passion, writing.

Working together to write this novel, the first in a trilogy, has added a new dimension to their friendship and lives.