Her face was monstrous enough to quickly earn popularity on the sideshow only by appearing on stage called the ugliest woman in the world. Despite her bizarre appearance, Grace was considered a warm and generous person and had a surprising number of suitors. she was married and had a physically normal child that later became alcoholic and criminal.

Born in Laos and suffering from hypertrichosia, she was first exhibited in 1880 in Europe when she was six years old. During this time the Origin of Species theory was a hot topic, and Barney  turned her into intermediate creature that might prove Darwin's theories.

She was well-read and spoke several languages. She toured with Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey and died in 1926 at the age of forty-nine.