This interview originally aired on April 6, 2023. It was rebroadcast on February 22, 2024, as Jody Lulich's memoir was recently announced as a finalist for the 2024 Minnesota Book Awards.
Jody Lulich's memoir In the Company of Grace is the author's reflections on a lifetime of trauma and healing. Now a renowned professor of veterinary clinical services and internal medicine at the University of Minnesota, Lulich's childhood in Chicago was laden with scarring events, most notably the suicide of his mother when he was only nine, which was followed shortly thereafter by a life-changing traffic collision on the way to her funeral.
Throughout the book, Lulich focuses on relationships. The titular relationship began during his time in Alabama while attending veterinary school. Looking for a place to live, Lulich was connected with Grace, a 75-year-old black woman. It didn't take long for the landlord-tenant relationship to take on a different trajectory. "She asked me to braid her hair," says Lulich, who acquiesced to the request. "She started telling me the stories of her life."
Lulich doesn't stray from the emotional extremes, dives into the topic of deep loss, and offers a vivid peek behind the curtain when it comes to veterinary practices. Through it all, Lulich wants to convey hope. "At times it was very difficult to write," says Lulich. "But when I was done with the book it was just an important part of my life and I certainly want to share it with others."
In the Company of Grace can be purchased online and at various major and independent booksellers.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
