Quote of the day:
"To me, bravery is to stand up for what you believe in."
-Sophie Turner
Unwrapping.....
This is Laura Riley's debut novel and it is a stunning piece of work. She has cleverly woven the lives of three different women from different countries, religions and backgrounds into an informative and often heart-wrenching story. These women have never met, yet their struggle is the same and they in their own unique way must face abusive demons and conquer them to be set free. In using their own methods and deep inner strengths they know they can make things better for women who follow after them.
Evangelina is a young Catholic women in Latin America who is off to start a brand new life away from her home and family. Unfortunatley she is kidnapped and made a sex-slave to a powerful drug lord. She takes it upon herself to find the key to her freedom and tries for the rest of her life to release the guilt she feels which is holding her back from becoming a self-assured woman.
Thelma is a middle-aged woman who works in a small town bar and grill in rural America. She has confidence in herself and in her abilities to take care of herself and does not take guff from any man. She takes a stand to help when one weak woman that she knows is being beaten unmercifully by her abuser. She cannot in her heart watch that destruction happen so she steps forward and a chain of events occur that brings change and justice to many lives.
Samara is a beautiful storyteller who captivates audiences with both her stories and her looks. She resides in the Middle East and because of strong male influences in her life has been able to break free of the male-dominated world and pursue her skills and dreams. She is co-founder of Secret Sisters, a society that works worldwide to rescue women from abusive scenarios.
Tell Me Of Brave Women is a story of courageous hearts, perservance in seeking truth and seeking justice for women. With the battlecry of "unite" amongst women everywhere, women worldwide are encouraged to join forces and set imprisoned and abused women free to become who they were created to be.
Unwrapping an interview with the author....
1. When you look around the globe and see the number of abused and battered women how can you recruit rescuers when they see the magnitude of the problem?
It seems so overwhelming. As the saying goes, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." Or, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." First, be sure you aren't yourself aren't being abused physically or mentally. Demand respect for yourself and your thought. Don't allow yourself to be demeaned or your opinions pooh-poohed. If you have a friend in an abusive relationship that she denies, loan her a book that contains women's respect as a theme. Join groups fighting for the women's causes that most resonate with you. Perhaps, it's spousal abuse, or rape, or abortion, or the glass ceiling in business, or equal pay. There are many local and internet groups addressing these issues. Volunteer. Vote for women who are for women rights.
2. How did you first get interested in helping abused and endangered women?
In my practice as a psychologist I met many women who'd experienced incest, rape, domestic and workplace abuse and helped them overcome, and triumph, over those traumas.
3. Are the experiences of the women in the book based on someone you know or events related to your own life?
No, but they are bits of the lives of many women I've known.
4. What books have most influenced you as :
a) a child: Fairy tales: I didn't figure out I wasn't the Prince until I was in fifth grade.
b) an adult: European literature and woman's literature like Anaiis NIn.
5. Why did you write the book? To call women to unite against abuse.
6. What do you think about book trailers and have you ever considered one for your book? I don't know much about them.
7. How do you see hope manifest itself in these stories and in real life?
Each woman sees the problem, doesn't consider herself as a trapped victim but, rather, figures out a solution and implements it. None takes abuse as a given circumstance of her life.
8. Do you have any recommendations for further reading on this subject?
Tell Me of Brave Women is unique in that it had a global outlook, but there are many personal stories of abused women that are heart wrenching. A Thousand Splendid Suns and This is No Ordinary Joy by Sarah Symons about one American woman setting up shelters from survivors in Asia come to mind, but there are are many excellent books.
Read on and read always! Have a great day.
It's a wrap!
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