Meet A Listener Gwen Graham
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In the cold, wet summer ofyear-old Joy Henderson lives in constant fear of her father. Then the day after their father finally confesses to a despicable crime, Joy finds him dead — with a belt pulled tight around his neck. Trigger warning: child abuse and domestic violence. It feels wrong to say I loved this book.
Are you Gwen?
It is possibly the saddest, most tragic story I have ever read. And yes, I have read A Little Life. But https://amazonia.fiocruz.br/scdp/essay/is-lafayette-a-hidden-ivy/theories-assessment-and-treatment-of-sex-offenders.php … this felt more plausible. But let me back up… Joy Henderson is an year-old girl growing up on a remote farm with her father George, mother Gwen, Meer Mark and sister Ruth.
In the eyes of the community, her father is a saint. He is a devout Christian, the perfect neighbour and a true pillar of his community.
But behind closed doors, he is a brute. Abusive and cruel, he causes irreparable damage to his wife, daughters and son, both physically and mentally. Hence the trigger warning — the violence is graphic and the trauma deeply distressing.
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It is upon her return that many mysteries begin to unravel. The reader joins local police officer Senior Constable Alex Shepherd in his quest to get to the bottom of all of this.
It is the story of a monster and the savage destruction he wreaks on the lives of the click he should love and protect. It is the story of how much suffering one individual can withstand before making the brave and dangerous decision to escape, even though it means leaving loved ones behind.
It is the story of a broken woman who consciously decides to ignore the brutal assaults on her children in order to survive herself. It is the story of a community that turns a blind eye to horrific child abuse because they are too gutless to rock the boat. It is the story of mental illness and its devastating effects on a family.
Are you Gwen Sommer?
And it is the utter believability of all these storylines that have resonated with me in a way no other book has and will ensure I never forget Joy, Mark, Ruth and Gwen. Https://amazonia.fiocruz.br/scdp/essay/benedick-and-beatrice-argument-quotes/setting-and-theme-in-barn-burning.php felt sick to my stomach through most of it, which is a testament to the quality of the writing. You just know that while this is a piece of fiction, there are many poor souls out there for which this is a reality. The Silent Listener demands stillness upon finishing, to fully absorb everything that has transpired and to grieve for Joy and what could have been.]
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