I purchased this novel after meeting the author.

Vidalia Lee Kandal Jackson certainly didn’t deserve her life. No one deserves that life. She was a shy, unassuming, high school girl when she met her downfall. He is named JB Jackson. He was a love ’em and leave ’em type. He liked girls young and innocent and when he saw Vidalia, he knew she was the one he wanted. He wanted to add her to his long list of conquests. He began by giving her his special attention. His intense attention resulted in her becoming pregnant. With both families in attendance, they married. Vidalia devoted herself to making a home for them. JB couldn’t hold down a job and money was tight. In a fit of anger on July 4, 1955, JB beat Vidalia so terribly that she miscarried. The spirit of their unborn daughter, Cieli Mae, stays with Vidalia to help her. This isn’t the first time Vidalia has been hit by JB but it is the worst beating yet. JB is a domestic abuser. The community, their family, and even the police turn a blind eye to the beatings that Vidalia endures. Is this tacit approval?

In a time when divorce was uncommon, Vidalia needs one. She attempts to leave JB only to have him track her down, bring her home, and beat her thoroughly. Both Vidalia and JB are products of their environment. Vidalia’s mother got pregnant by a married man and married a man that couldn’t father children to cover her mistake. This secret can’t be an easy one to live every day. JB was raised by an overly indulgent mother who sold moonshine to make additional money when farming didn’t provide enough. Dysfunctional families do not provide good role models nor do they notice other’s problems. Turning a blind eye to Vidalia’s predicament is how everyone chooses to react. Cieli Mae serves as Vidalia’s advisor/conscious, helping her to grow up and gain inner strength. This is a type of coming-of-age story,the life lessons Vidalia receives all serve to strengthen her. The author parallels society’s gradual awakening to domestic abuse with Vidalia’s gradual development of maturity and inner strength.

Deborah Mantella exposes dysfunctional family dynamics and domestic abuse in a heart-wrenching story. While this is only a story, what is tragic is how many women actually endured such horrific situations. Anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse may want to avoid reading this book, it has triggers.

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻/5