Cate Elliot is desperate. She is a survivor of a family tragedy, abandoned by her husband and left to raise their 5-year-old autistic son by herself. Escaping to the Iowa farm where she grew up, exhausted and hopeless, Cate and her young son are stranded in an unfamiliar town where their journey takes an unexpected and unsettling turn.
Separated from her son, Cate finds herself captive to the mysterious town of Graypourt. Father Matthew, the charismatic local priest, governs Graypourt as a place of restoration and recovery with only one way out. Cate must consent to trust strangers, open her heart to new relationships, and ultimately accept the transformative grace she needs to go home.
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit, introduces a timeless story of transformation through unexpected mercy. The “Blessed” series explores the promise of The Beatitudes told through the stories of the people we meet between life and our final heavenly home.
The second book in the series, Blessed Are Those Who Mourn, is scheduled for release in March 2026.
Ashlie Hand is a life-long storyteller and writer who has spent the last 40 years nurturing her craft through journaling, short stories, magazine and newspaper articles, speeches and social media in the academic and nonprofit world. Ashlie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication and Public Relations from Loras College. She is a devoted wife, mother of three, and practicing Catholic living in the Midwest.
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit is Ashlie’s debut self-published novel. She was born and raised in Des Moines, Ia., and currently resides in the Kansas City area. Ashlie has had a 25-year career in Communications and PR and is currently the Director of the Office of Communications for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Ashlie will be honored this fall with the Distinguished Alumni Award for Humanitarian of the Year from Loras College (2025).
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