The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

It's time again for Book Beginnings on Fridays, where participants share the opening sentence (or so) of the book they are reading this week. Or you can share from a book you want to highlight just because it caught your fancy.

What other weekly blog events do you participate in besides Book Beginnings? I also play along with the Friday 56 (see below). I don't do any others on Fridays. I like Mailbox Monday, where participants share the books that came into their homes the prior week -- a show and tell type of thing. I used to do more, but it's all I can do to keep Book Beginnings going every week! But I'm interested to know what weekly events are out there these days.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur, and an aching back and weary arms.

-- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. This is one of my very favorite books. I didn't read it as a kid but I fell in love with it as an adult. 

WITW is one of the few books I've reread. My library had the audiobook edition narrated by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame and it is terrific! I’ve since listened to it three times. It is my go-to whenever I need a morale boost.

This month I'm reading WITW with my eyes for the first time and it is just as wonderful. I'm taking part in a WITW real along on Instagram. I've never done an online read along and it's fun. 

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please link to your Book Beginning post in the box below and use the #bookbeginnings hashtag if you share on social media. 

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THE FRIDAY 56

Another weekly teaser event is The Friday 56, hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice where you can find details and add a link to your post. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of the book you are featuring. You can also find a teaser from 56% of the way through your ebook or audiobook.

MY FRIDAY 56

From Wind in the Willows:

The Rat looked very grave, and stood in deep thought for a minute or two. Then he re-entered the house, strapped a belt round his waist, shoved a brace of pistols into it, took up a stout cudgel that stood in a corner of the hall, and set off for the Wild Wood at a smart pace.

The anthropomorphization in WITW is the best there is! I laugh at all of it, especially when the animals do things like carry pistols, eat sausages, or as Ratty does in this scene, make their way "manfully" through the woods.  

Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg -- BOOK REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW

Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg (2022, Lion Heart Publishing) 

If you enjoy fact-based historical fiction with strong women protagonists, Champagne Widows is the book for you. Award-winning author Rebecca Rosenberg tells the story of the founding of the legendary champagne house, Veuve Clicquot, which started 250 years ago in Reims, France.

Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin inherited her wine making great-grandfather’s extraordinary sense of smell, referred to in the family as Le Nez, “The Nose.” Headstrong and beloved by her textile merchant father, Barbe-Nicole married her childhood sweetheart, François Clicquot, when she was 21 years old. François went into partnership with his champagne-making father and soon took over the company with Barbe-Nicole’s help. Rosenberg’s attention to historical detail about wine making and distribution brings the struggles of the young couple to life, with scenes of handmade bottles exploding in the summer heat and the excitement of hiring their first commercial salesman to sell the product throughout Europe, particularly in Russia.

But Champagne Widows is not François’s story. When he died only seven years after their wedding, Barbe-Nicole petitioned her father-in-law to allow her to take over the winery. A that time, the Napoleonic Code did not allow most women to own property in their own name or even work without permission from their husbands or fathers. Only widows were allowed to own their own businesses, so it was as Veuve (Widow) Clicquot that Barbe-Nicole planned to run the champagne house.

Rosenberg weaves an irresistible tale out of Barbe-Nicole’s business challenges and her romantic dilemmas. Her father-in-law did not make her takeover easy, apprenticing her to a stodgy winemaker with hidebound ideas about wine and lecherous ideas about the young Veuve. Once she finally gained control, she had to make and sell wine during the Napoleonic wars, in the face of navel blockades that paralyzed commercial shipping and a Russian ban on French products. Her closest sidekick was her loyal sales manager, who tempted her with more than a working relationship. But the Napoleonic Code would force her to turn over ownership of her winery to a new husband. Was marriage worth the loss of her business?

Champagne Widows is a page-turning delight of a novel and a sparkling tribute to "la grande dame de la Champagne."

NOTES

Rebecca Rosenberg has written two prior historical fiction books about real-life women: The Secret Life of Mrs. London, about the friendship between the wives of Harry Houdini and Jack London, and Gold Digger: The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor, about a woman who came to run a Colorado gold mine. 

Amy Nordhues, author of Preyed Upon: Breaking Free from Therapist Abuse -- AUTHOR INTERVIEW

 AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Amy Nordhues, author of Preyed Upon: Breaking Free from Therapist Abuse (2021)

Amy Nordhues was groomed and abused as a young adult by the church-based psychiatrist she went to for help with depression. She struggled with the ongoing trauma of her abuse, especially the shame and self-blame she carried with her. After much work brought healing and peace, Nordhues wanted to write a memoir to share her story. She wrote her book, Preyed Upon, primarily for abuse survivors, but it is comforting to anyone who has faced trauma and helpful for anyone supporting trauma survivors. 

Amy talked with Rose City Reader about her memoir, resources for sexual assault victims, and how others can support survivors of sexual assault: 

How did you come to write your new memoir Prayed Upon?

After I was taken advantage of by a “Christian” therapist/psychiatrist in 2014, I decided to write out my story. Really, I just wanted to understand what happened so that I could begin to forgive myself. As the story unfolded on the pages, I began to see the sneaky and insidious manipulation process. In time, I knew that I needed to share my story with the world so that other adult victims would know they weren’t alone and that what happened to them was not their fault.

Your memoir is intensely personal – did you have any qualms about sharing so much?

Yes! It was a terrifying prospect to put my personal life story into print, but it was an important step in my healing and in reducing the stigma adult victims experience. I respect authors of memoir so much. We take a huge risk when we tell our stories.

Who is your intended audience and what do you hope your readers will gain from your book?

Women, ages 25-65+; adult victims of sexual and/or emotional abuse; survivors of childhood sexual abuse; mental health professionals; Christians, especially those who are struggling to find God in their suffering; and church leaders.

Prayed Upon addresses the following felt needs:

• The inner workings of the abuse process of adult victims;

• How past childhood abuse can make an adult vulnerable to predators;

• The defective beliefs that cause victims to doubt their own realities and become ensnared by abusers;

• An up-close look at the insidious grooming process a predator uses to trap his victims;

• The power a therapist has over a client;

• That the abuse of an adult by a person in a position of power is not a mutual affair;

• A path towards healing for victims—that with Christ there is hope;

• How the spouses of adult victims are secondary victims;

• How loved ones can best support the victims in their lives;

• Possible routes to justice;

• The trials victims will likely face once they come forward;

• God's hand at work amidst the tribulations of victims;

• That no situation is too dire that God cannot use it for good;

• How victims can replace their faulty beliefs with God’s truth; and

• That Christ is the ultimate healer.

Do you think there is benefit to victims of abuse in telling their stories?

I do. Anything that gets it out of the victim has benefit whether that means talking to one person, sharing with a therapist, writing out the story. Holding shame and trauma inside is mentally and physically detrimental. We are not meant to do life alone. Secrets are heavy!

What did you learn from writing your book – either about the experiences you describe or the writing process – that most surprised you?

I was surprised to uncover the lies I was believing about myself, lies that stemmed from early childhood. These negative self-tapes placed a target on my back and made me vulnerable to predators.

Can you recommend any other memoirs that deal with surviving abuse with the honesty and self-forgiveness you put into yours?

• Seduced into Darkness: Transcending My Psychiatrist’s Sexual Abuse by Carrie T. Ishee (Terra Nova Books, 2020)

• Mending the Shattered Mirror: A Journey of Recovery from Abuse in Therapy by Analie Shepherd (2016)

• This Little Light: Beyond a Baptist Preacher Predator and His Gang by Christa Brown (Foremost Press, 2009)

• She’s Still in There: Healing the Wounded Child Within by Lisa Baldwin (Life Stories Publishing, 2021)

• Let Me Prey Upon You: Breaking Free from a Minister’s Sexual Abuse by Sandy Kirkham (Absam LLC, 2021)

What resources would you recommend for survivors of adult sexual abuse? What about their loved ones and supporters?

I have a long list of organizations and other resources to help survivors on my website at this page.

What can friends and family of abuse victims do to support them?

Listen and empathize. Don’t try to understand it unless you have experience with sexual abuse especially abuse as an adult. Don’t ask questions so that you can better understand it yourself. Your words can be extremely hurtful so be slow to speak. What you can do is relate to their pain, betrayal, confusion, hurt. Guide the victim towards support of those who understand, whether that be a ministry or a therapist. Research online and try to find resources for them. Help them find books on the subject. Although you can be a listening ear, friends and family are not equipped to handle this level of trauma. Do not rush victims through their pain! Healing takes as long as it takes!

Please tell us about your work with abuse survivors and advocates.

Besides writing my memoir, Preyed Upon, I also have an Amy Nordhues website full of resources, helpful articles, suggested reading, and interviews I’ve done on the subject. I hope to begin traveling and speaking on the issue of adult abuse. I am considering joining with other ministries as there is strength in numbers. I will respond to anyone who reaches out to me through my website or through social media. I would love to work towards legislation in my state regarding therapist abuse. Currently, it is criminally illegal in only 32 states.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as someone working to help abuse survivors?

Victims of crimes do not owe explanations to anyone regarding the nature of the crime committed against them!

Do you have any events or speaking engagements coming up?

Most of the speaking events and interviews I have done thus far are on the press page of my website. More recently, I spoke last month at two sexual abuse conferences, the Beautifully Broken Conference and the Restoring Hope: Celebrating Resilience Conference. Both those talks will be posted on my website shortly. 

What’s next? What are you working on now?

I would like to record Preyed Upon for audio book.

I am considering a second book to address what happens after the survivor escapes the abuser and all the risks they face in coming forward as well as the challenges they face in healing.

I am also looking for speaking engagements. I can be found on Christian Speaker and Christian Women Speakers.

THANK YOU, AMY!

PREYED UPON IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.

A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris -- BOOK REVIEW

 

BOOK REVIEW

A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris (2021, Pegasus Books)

When Rebecca Buckfast takes over as head of St. Oswald’s school, you want to root for her success. It’s time this 500-year-old school for boys had a good shaking up. Admitting girls as students and putting a strong female leader in charge is just what this stodgy institution needs. Or is it? Is Bex Buckfast the right woman for the job? Or are the holes in her memory and the blood on her hands enough to disqualify her from the position?

Joanne Harris’s latest novel, A Narrow Door, is a cunning psychological thriller with atmosphere to spare and a tricky puzzle of a plot that comes together quite cleverly in the end. The point of view goes back and forth between Buckfast and a venerable St. Oswald’s classics teacher, Roy Straitley.  Straitley’s narrative appears as diary entries recording the increasingly disturbing story “La Buckfast” discloses to him over tea and biscuits as the novel unfolds. There is a braided timeline, with the story moving back and forth between 1989 when Buckfast is starting her teaching career and her family and the “present” of 2006. However, the mystery at the heart of the story dates back to Buckfast’s childhood and the disappearance of her brother Conrad.

There were a few moments when Buckfast’s repressed memories strain credulity and her emotions (or maybe Harris’s writing) are overwrought. Get on with it! But for the most part, Harris keeps the pacing steady and the pressure mounting right to the satisfying end.

NOTES

Only when I wrote this review did I realize that A Narrow Door is the fourth book by Joanne Harris set in the fictional town of Malbry and the third set at St. Oswald's. The first books in this series are Gentlemen and Players (2006), Blueeyedboy  (2011; Malbry but not St. Oswald’s), and Different Class (2017). Other reviewers are consistent in the opinion that A Narrow Door can stand alone, but several suggest that reading the first two St. Oswald's books offer an introduction to the characters and grounding in the St. Oswald's setting that could make for a richer reading experience. I don't doubt. 

Family Business: A Lydia Chin/Bill Smith Mystery by J. R. Rozan -- BOOK BEGINNINGS

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

Sorry for the late post this week. No excuse. I just walked out of the office yesterday and forgot! Spring fever I guess. 

What are you reading this week? Please share the first sentence (or so) here on Book Beginnings on Fridays. You can also share a book you want to highlight even if you are not reading it right now. 

Which is what I'm doing because I realize that I never posted about Family Business when I read it in March. I loved the book. I am getting ready to write a review and only now remember that I forgot to post my Book Beginning for this lively mystery.

MY BOOK BEGINNING

The news swept back and forth through Chinatown all afternoon: Big Brother Choi was dead.

-- Family Business: A Lydia Chin/Bill Smith Mystery by J. R. Rozan. Family Business is the latest mystery novel in Rozan's long-running series featuring New York private eye Lydia Chin and her fellow P.I. boyfriend Bill Smith. Here, Lydia and Bill get pulled in to solve the mystery of a murdered Tong leader found dead in a Chinatown building at the center of a real estate development battle.

Family Business was really good. I've dipped into the series before with Winter and Night, which won the Edgar Award in 2003. Bill Smith was the narrator and focus of that one, in contrast to Family Business that Lydia Chin narrates. I look forward to reading more of the series.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS

Please add the link to your Book Beginning post in the Linky box below. Use the #book beginnings hashtag if you share on social media. 

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THE FRIDAY 56

Another fun Friday event is The Friday 56. Share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your book, or 56% of the way through your e-book or audiobook, on this weekly event hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

From Family Business:

Paying respects at the funeral of an elder, a powerful community leader, crook or not, adversary or not, showed an appreciation of protocol and correctness that might soften some hearts.

The next hour was filled with chanting and gongs, prayers and eulogies, bowing and incense.

Enjoy your weekend! I hope your plans include a good book or two!