“Liberation” - Painting by Dario Campanile
Awards and Testimonials
Dear Reader, as you can see, we love what we do. And we pour our hearts and soul into every book we do. With us, second best will never do. And our goal is always the same: to reach out and touch you, inform you, inspire you, put a smile on your face, and bring joy and satisfaction to the deepest parts of your being. This remains our mission, our passion, and our sacred cause.
Paul Chutkow read a snippet of writing and saw potential. Without his immense talent as an editor and his unending emotional support and friendship, “Lineage: Life and Love and Six Generations in California Wine” would still be lying in some dark drawer. I’m very proud of the work we did together and honored to be part of the incredible Val de Grace family.
— Steven Kent Mirassou
Paul Chutkow has the extraordinary ability to criticize, suggest, and teach—always within a context of encouragement. His measure of instruction, insight, and inspiration is unmatched. When I was blocked, he provided me with a path forward; when I was dismayed, he instilled buoyancy. My books would never have existed or been far poorer without his guidance.
— Author Jim Holden
Beyond being a great read, “Harvests of Joy” brought us more than a million dollars in free publicity. Everybody wrote about it!
- Harvey Posert, former PR director at Robert Mondavi Winery
“’Visa, The Power of An Idea’ is the finest book ever written about the credit card industry and for us it has been a fabulous corporate tool.”
- Dave Brancoli, former Director of Corporate Communications, Visa International
“Faces of Courage” was named by American Photo magazine as one of the top photo books of 2015.
“Mark Tuschman’s photography pleads with the world to understand how providing proper maternal health and childcare services reduces hunger and malnutrition and empowers women and their families. His photographs in ‘Faces of Courage’ speak to me of hope.”
-- Musimbi Kanyoro, President and CEO of The Global Fund for Women
The International Organization of Vine and Wine awarded Richard Mendelson's book its Grand Prize for Economy and Law.
Gourmand International gave the book its “Best in the U.S. Award (Food and Wine Law)”
“I can think of no better teacher or coach on any writing or book publishing project than Paul Chutkow. I started with an idea and, with Paul's active input at every step, published ‘Spirit in Metal’. Paul pushed me, stretched me, encouraged me, and inspired me in a process that was incredibly challenging and rewarding. Then we did it again with ‘Appellation Napa Valley.’”
- Richard Mendelson
Tom Hummel's wonderful tribute to America's greatest authors was named winner of the esteemed Eric Hoffer Award as one of the finest books of 2011.
“Paul Chutkow is the most dedicated and skilled teacher I’ve ever had the good fortune to learn from. Without his tireless support, ‘Our Political Nature’ - and my dream of publishing this book - would never have found its way to success.
“Paul knows what works, and what doesn’t, both in writing and in the strange world of publishing. Perhaps more than anything, Paul is a master storyteller, with a remarkable ability to hook readers from the first sentence and keep their attention as he guides them through a journey. He is a natural teacher of the principles that create truly excellent writing.”
- Avi Tuschman, author, scholar, and entrepreneur
Elsebeth's book was runner-up in Denmark’s prestigious Karin Michaelis Literary Competition.
“Some years back, I walked into a Napa Valley College classroom to take a class in creative writing given by Paul Chutkow. Right away, Paul recognized a talent for writing in me, and he took me under his wing and guided me through the process of writing fiction. And all the while I felt the presence of a man with a big heart who gave freely of his time and experience.
“Paul was my severest critic - he does not suffer fools gladly - but he was also my biggest fan, always in my corner, always ready to inspire and encourage me. Now when I see ‘Birgitte’s War’ on bookshelves, and when I talk about the book in schools and civic groups, I always say a silent ‘thank you’ to Paul.”
- Elsebeth Schoenberger
Dear Friends,
Thank you for sharing a little time with us here at Val de Grace Books. I and my team hope you enjoy the many beautiful books we have created. The work we do is both a joy and an honor, and our greatest pleasure is in sharing our work with you. And now I leave you with this thought, coming to us from Dario Campanile, Pablo Picasso, Robert Mondavi and so many of the other artists and creators that we cherish and salute: