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Writer Malcolm directs her energies toward the goal of recalling years of neglect and abuse from a partner and within her self-blaming consciousness, in the hope of encouraging others to rise above such missteps to pursue positive outcomes. Her own childhood was difficult, and her relationship with the father of her two children proved emotionally draining, ending in separation.
Then she met Michael, to whom she was greatly attracted, and who seemed to care about her. But through years of struggle, she realized that he was manipulative, selfish, and unfaithful. They shared many adventures aimed at bringing the relationship into line. He convinced her to sell her charming cottage and most of its decor so that they could travel together in a van, with no special destinations in mind. Each day brought more evidence of his neglect, his brutality, and his refusal to apologize or offer comfort. She was agonized by his emotional coldness and his unapologetic interest in other women. Still, she persisted in trying to mend the broken seams of their partnership, though the typical outcome was her further distress and self-blame, arrayed here in anguishing detail.
Finally, Malcolm came to understand that psychological and emotional abuse can be as deeply painful and damaging as physical cruelty and has dedicated her efforts to help other women in similar situations. The author has pursued professional endeavors to help those who have suffered as she did, working as a mental health and community advisor, here displaying her talents as a creator of dramatic memories and human-scale revelations. Her well-considered and poignantly remembered life events give her efforts special power. Her ability to depict inner and outer torments will doubtless affect readers across a wide spectrum, both those who have suffered or observed abuse, and those deeply dedicated, like Malcolm, to curtailing it.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review