Between Grace and Grit
Echoes from the Past
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
Between Grace and Grit is a lyrical memoir of growing up inside the charged crossroads of faith, family, and social change. Through vivid scenes—railroad tracks, farm, Sunday school rooms, campaign trails, family storms—Ray Combs traces the quiet courage of his parents, Bobby Lee and Elsie Combs, whose lives bridged ministries, classrooms, and the long struggle for civil rights in the American South. Told in poetic, immersive prose, this memoir explores resilience, loss, and the unspoken lessons handed down through generations. It is the story of a preacher’s kid learning to stand on shifting ground, a family walking through fire with grace, and the enduring hope that love—steady, stubborn, and unafraid—can still shape a divided world.
Endorsements (4)
“What a fantastic read! Ray Combs writes with a poet’s ear and historian’s care. Between Grace and Grit moves effortlessly between memory and meaning, offering scenes that linger and truths that resonate beyond the final page. It reminds me that history is shaped by families—earned, tested, and ultimately sustaining. It took me back to my own childhood and upbringing and all the emotions associated with it. Well worth the read.”
“I applaud Ray for offering his family’s story as a model for living with faith amid today’s tensions. The book took me on an emotional journey between sorrow and joy, offering a powerful example of steady, principled leadership in both personal and civic life. Having known Ms. Combs as my teacher, I see her grace and grit vividly reflected here.”
“Ray Combs grew up in an era of great change and tension in the South. Civil Rights. Vietnam. ERA. Politics. Religion. Between Grace and Grit is a poetic homage to both his parents, navigating life as a Presbyterian preacher and a science teacher, with three children to raise. Combs revisits life before and during his family’s years in the small community of Sweetwater, North Carolina. Family history told with love and art.”
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