Declaring victory over painSordid little secrets. It's tough enough dealing with them as an adult. But what happens when you're a girl with dreams -– and hopes of blossoming into sweet womanhood? Find out what happens when innocence crashes head-on into sex, violence, abortion and drugs. It's all in Angela Carter's page turner, Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds.
The novel chronicles the lives of Deb and Honey, two young friends with distinctly different personalities. But the pair does share something in common - the desire to heal from a painful past.
Deb is trying to make it through high school. One minute she's dreaming about graduating, going to college and marrying her prince charming. But "happily ever after" isn't exactly in the script. Instead, Deb suffers an onslaught of verbal abuse and estrangement from her mother. In a twist, she falls in love with an irresistible night club owner who teaches her a few things about life.
"Vivacious" could be Honey's middle name. She's a gorgeous teen with attitude. Street-smart and sassy. She hides her lack of self-confidence by any means necessary. Honey prefers her men controlling, dominating and married. Her early exposure to sex and an "I don't give a damn" view of life spell one thing for Honey: self-destruction.
Carter knows about abuse and betrayal all too well. Her debut novel is inspired, in part, on heartaches she endured in her own life.
"The verbal abuse started about the time I entered sixth grade," the author revealed. "One of my parents would yell obscenities at me. I was told I was ugly, unworthy, dumb and stupid. My parent would always compare me to a friend‚’s daughter, who could do no wrong."
Carter added, "I went through life feeling worthless and full of hurt and pain. I needed an outlet - a sense of security. As a result, I started looking for love in all the wrong places. Little did I know that the people I was trying to gain love from didn't love me."
The author shares at least one thing in common with her character Deb. Both developed a closer relationship with God and turned their lives around, celebrating victory over pain.
Carter is currently working on her master's degree in social service. This single mom of two sons earned her bachelor's degree in health care administration.
Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds is published by Prioritybooks Publications of St. Louis. For more information about the book, visit the author's website, whentimeheals.com.
8 comments:
Deb -- you're back. I missed you. Interesting piece. As a male it is sometimes difficult to fully appreciate what it means to grow up female, since we get so caught up in our own angst. If it were possible to 'break the chain of abuse and self-destruction' that would be a great societal gift.
Your friend,
Ian
Ian: Thank you for your kind words. Males as well as females can experience abuse and self-destruction. Breaking the chain of violence would, as you say, be a "great societal gift."
BTW, a dear friend shared the following with me some time ago: "Women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves...."
This sounds like a very interesting reading. I loved the title, especially since the time heals all wounds is overused in my opinion. Some baggage takes more than time to go away, it takes accepting it, then dealing with it.
Alina: I think you're right when you say that it takes more time for some baggage to go away. That said, it's important to stay focused and determined to "let it go."
A couple of my friends seemed determined to live the rest of their life in bitterness. That has to be a miserable existence.
Your post reminds me what what Sidney Sheldon wrote on the first page of his autobiographic novel "the other side of me." It reads, "he that has no fools, knaves nor beggars in his family was begot by a flash of lightning." And that is what made me read the book. When can I read this?
Ms. Carter is right, it takes more than time - and she does a great job sharing that through her character Deb. Deb is the perfect portrayal of strength in conflicting situations - a young women who conquers life - just as Ms. Carter does daily! It's a great read!
The abuse of the female is one of the greatest wrongs that we have to correct in this society. This book chronicles of the struggles of our women vividly. We all need to help heal the wounds women the world suffer from, by God's grace and permission.
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