Introduction

She's a beautiful young widow. He's a Southern gentleman with a thirst for adventure. Both need a place to call home.

After losing her husband in the Civil War, Carrie Daly is scared she will never have the family she longs for. Eligible bachelors are scarce in Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, but Carrie has found love. Not the weak-in-the-knees kind, but something practical. Still, she isn't quite ready to set a wedding date with Nate Chastain.

Griff Rutledge is a former member of Charleston society, but has been estranged from his family for years. He's determined to remain unattached, never settling in one place for too long. But when asked to train a Thoroughbred for an upcoming race in Hickory Ridge, he decides to stay awhile.

Despite objections from the townsfolk, and her fear that true happiness has eluded her, Carrie is drawn to Griff's kindness and charm. It will take a leap of faith for them to open their hearts and claim God's promise to give beauty for ashes.

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Discussion Questions

How does the title of the novel, Beauty for Ashes, relate to Carrie and Griff? To Deborah? To Mary?
2. Hickory Ridge is a small town tucked beneath the mountains. How does geography influence the townsfolk’s customs and attitudes? What role does geography play in defining your city or town?
3. Griff and Carrie both experience great loneliness in their lives. How do they cope with it?
4. Carrie tells Caleb that it was not forgetting that helped her heal after a great loss, but remembering. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
5. After Mary’s baby is born, Carrie muses that people’s lives rarely turn out as they planned and that the secret of happiness is to want the life one has. Do you agree or disagree?
6. In Charleston, Griff realizes he has spent years roaming the world looking for what he needed, then returned home to find it. Have you ever had a similar experience? How did it change your view of yourself or the world?
7. On her visit to Hickory Ridge, Ada Caldwell tells Carrie to pray “the prayer that never fails.” What prayer, above all others, sustains you?
8. Deborah believes Carrie is frightened by the thought of complete surrender to God. What causes us to be fearful of such a commitment? What are its implications?
9. Near the end of the story, Mary realizes God has changed her and Carrie. How does each woman grow and change over the course of the story?
10. Carrie’s friends disapprove of her relationship with Griff. Have you ever had to choose between keeping someone’s approval and following your heart?

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