This is a heartfelt riveting autobiography about a woman's journey through her abusive marriage. Holly was only 19 when she met Aiden. It took many years for Holly to identify the controlling abusive behaviors in her marriage. When she finally did identify the control and abuse, it was too late. She and her husband had two kids and she hadn't worked outside of the home for many years. Holly now needs to find her way out of the storm and is emotionally crippled along the way. Watch as her husband transforms from the perfect partner to the person that leaves others traumatized, scarred, and bruised.
Will Holly overcome these traumatic events?
Who will persevere?
AMAZON
February 6, 2015
By J. Kraus
Verified Purchase
This is a powerful story about a woman who wasn't aware of the pattern of domestic abuse and how bad it can get. I thought it was interesting how young she was when she entered into this relationship, not having much prior experience or other role models to be able to see the early signs of trouble. One of the most complex issues with domestic violence is how to get out (especially financially) and the casualties of leaving a bad relationship (kids, family, pets, etc.). It is easy to become brainwashed over time by someone professing to love you and not be able to live without you, and this book clearly demonstrates that. The husband in this book is overwhelmingly charming and manipulative, with affluence and power. He's the life of the party, the cool buddy to hang with, the perfect dad -- all for appearances. Holly struggles for years and years to hold it together for the sake of her children and her lack of resources to get out, yet finally finds the courage to break the cycle of abuse. Although this situation happens all over the world, Holly is challenged with living in a small town much of the time where even her relatives and friends somewhat influenced her to continue staying in an abusive marriage. I was genuinely amazed by the roller coaster that became Holly's "normal" - never knowing when or if her husband was coming home or what to expect by calls in the middle of the night. She struggles to shield her children from the rages and chaos and put on her game face for appearance sake. On top of that, add to that the stress of her having to move back and forth between various states continuously. I noticed when things were good they were great, and when they were bad they were horrible. Holly wanted the fairy tale but was only married to the handsome prince once in a while.
Holly portrays how domestic abuse doesn't just happen one day. It happens over time. Every day stresses such as money and work can take a toll on any relationship, yet there is no excuse for the behavior exhibited by her husband. I felt so sad for Holly throughout the story, always hoping she would make it out alive. I hope Holly's story teaches other girls and women the evolution of abuse so they can recognize that they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and should never live in fear or uncertainty.
I applaud Holly's courage and perseverance.
A GREAT READ!!! Pass it on to your friends!!
Novelist and educator Heidi is a teacher, principal, wife, and a mother of five who finds herself passionate about writing this autobiographical series: abuse, relationships, divorce, love, parenting, hope, love, jealousy, control, and drama. Pick up H. Manoguerra's work and you can be assured of suspense, compassion, hope, love, and an ending that will leave you with a sense of peace.
Holly portrays how domestic abuse doesn't just happen one day. It happens over time. Every day stresses such as money and work can take a toll on any relationship, yet there is no excuse for the behavior exhibited by her husband. I felt so sad for Holly throughout the story, always hoping she would make it out alive. I hope Holly's story teaches other girls and women the evolution of abuse so they can recognize that they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and should never live in fear or uncertainty.
I applaud Holly's courage and perseverance.
A GREAT READ!!! Pass it on to your friends!!
Novelist and educator Heidi is a teacher, principal, wife, and a mother of five who finds herself passionate about writing this autobiographical series: abuse, relationships, divorce, love, parenting, hope, love, jealousy, control, and drama. Pick up H. Manoguerra's work and you can be assured of suspense, compassion, hope, love, and an ending that will leave you with a sense of peace.
is an educator and an e-book author. She self-published her debut novel My Life Reimagined in 2015, about surviving a relationship surrounded by domestic abuse.
She is a member of groups.yahoo.com and yahoo.biography and memoirs
You can contact her on FACEBOOK
