Stand by Debbie Williamson is one of those books that make you want to grab your kids, hug them as hard as you can, and tell them how much you love them. Like Dave Pelzer's memoirs, Williamson's details a life of neglect, abuse and family dysfunctionality. Her story compels in the same way a roadside accident does - morbid curiosity makes us stare, empathy makes us shake our heads, and relief lets us flee, thanking God that we escaped similar tragedy.

Debbie's story begins long before her birth. Stand tells the stories of her mother and grandmother - two women who suffer from parental neglect as well as emotional and sexual abuse. The family's horrific "legacy" persists into Debbie's generation. Not only is she raped by a trusted uncle, but her mother ignores her, and both parents cheat on each other repeatedly. Her home life in shambles, Debbie turns to drugs, sex, and partying to fill up her life. Not surprisingly, she finds herself pregnant at 16.

Because it is "the right thing to do," the young couple marry. At first, Debbie adores her new life as a wife and mother. It's not long, however, before the union begins deteriorating. Joe turns to alcohol and prostitutes to escape the prison of married life. At home with her children all day, Debbie suffers from depression, which is only exacerbated by the daily insults Joe screams at her. Overwhelmed by both her past and her present, she loses control. When she owns up to how much time she's spending drinking, arguing with her husband, yelling at her kids, and sleeping around, Debbie realizes she's become the one thing she never wanted to be - her mother.

Finally at the end of her rope, Debbie enrolls in a kind of therapy boot camp. The program empowers her, giving her the strength to overcome her struggles. It doesn't make her life perfect, but it marks the beginning of a bright, new future.

On her website, Debbie explains that her original intention was to write out her experiences as a sort of journal for her children. Stand certainly reads more like a diary - with grammatical errors; fluctuating tense, shifting points of view; and lack of organization - than a polished book. Simple and heartfelt, Debbie's words do get the message across, just not with the panache of a well-written memoir. It also has a psychic/voices of the dead aspect that tarnishes the author's credibility - at least for those of us who don't believe in such things.


What I do admire about this book is Debbie's honesty. She explains on her website how reluctant she was to share her story with the world. Although she didn't want her family to suffer from the exposure of its dark secrets, she bravely took the risk. She doesn't sugarcoat her experiences or try to make herself look like the perfect wife and mother. Admittedly, she lays much of the blame for her family's dysfunctionality on the males, but she doesn't sugarcoat her own shortcomings either. She confesses that not all of her relationships have healed, but that through forgiveness, honesty and time, she's sure they will. The chapter on forgiveness particularly moved me. In Debbie's words:


He wasn't a monster to me anymore. Instead, he became a little person who had made a horrible mistake. I forgave him. I didn't have to ask God anymore how to forgive. I finally knew how (131).


Child abuse does not rank highly on my list of Favorite Subjects to Read About, so I haven't read a lot of books like Stand. I have no doubt there are better-written books on the subject. However, I don't regret reading this one. It could use some serious editing, but all in all, it's a pretty powerful little book.



Grade: B-




(Book Image from Barnes & Noble)

So much fun stuff is going on the book blogosphere right now that I just had to mention a few things:

** I just received an email from up-and-coming YA author Kamilla Reid asking me to review her sci fi/fantasy book The Questory of Root Karbunkulus. The novel hasn't reached me yet - and trust me, I'm waiting breathlessly for it - but the website and trailer look fabulous. Next month, I'll be bringing you some fun stuff related to the book; for now, click here to visit Kamilla's gorgeous site.

** Stephanie over at The Written Word is giving away a copy of Nefertiti by Michelle Moran. She raved about the historical novel in her recent review. To enter, click here.

** Amanda at A Patchwork of Books has 5 copies of The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson to give away. Enter here for a chance to win.

** Don't forget about my own giveaway. You can win a brand-spankin'-new copy of Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson. I loved the book (you can read my review here). Even if you're not interested in winning, join in the conversation about RAOK you've given or received. Leave your comments here. Reading all the great stories just makes me happy!

** So many great challenges are going on right now that I really want to enter them all. Unfortunately, I'm already drowning in challenges, so the only one I'm actually going to join is the ARC Challenge. You can get all the info here at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time. Check it out. If you are shopping for a challenge, stop by A Novel Challenge - it lists the info for all current challenges. Wow! How many times did I use the word "challenge" in that paragraph?

** Speaking of challenges, I'm just not going to make the deadline for Katrina's Spring Reading Thing or Carl's Once Upon A Time II Challenge. I'm bummed. I will finish my book lists, just not by June 20 :(

** And still speaking of challenges ... Karlene tells me she's got a fun one in the works. Stay tuned for more info at Inksplasher.

Okay, that's all I can remember. Check out all the links and help me spread the love!

Fourth grader Ida B. Applewood, heroine of Katherine Hannigan's first novel Ida B, lives an almost perfect life. She spends her days roaming her family's farm with her trusty dog, stargazing with her father, or cuddled up with a good book. No playmates live nearby, so Ida B. shares all her amazing ideas with her family's apple trees and the brook that trickles through the farm. According to her:

Some people might stop me right there and say, "Ida B, you could wait for eternity and a day and you're not going to hear one of those trees talking to you, let alone a brook. Trees don't have mouths and they don't speak, and you might want to take yourself to the doctor's and get a very thorough check-up real soon."

And after I took a minute to give my patience and forbearance a chance to recover my mouth from the rudeness that was itching to jump out of it, I would just say this: "There's more than one way to tell each other things, and there's more than one way to listen, too. And if you've never heard a tree telling you something, then I'd say you don't really know how to listen just yet. But I'd be happy to give you a few pointers sometime" (8-9).

The contented Ida B cannot imagine anything marring her happiness, so she's shocked when the trees whisper about trouble on the horizon. It comes in the form of a diagnosis: her mother has cancer. Before Ida B knows it, her world has transformed from "just about righter than right to a million miles beyond wrong" (143). Her mother, who once sparkled with life, spends all her time sleeping. Her father, once patient and indulgent, snaps at Ida B for anything and everything, it seems. It's bad enough that her parents have become strangers, but when they inform her they will be selling off part of the farm to cover hospital bills, she's stunned. Apparently, it's not quite enough to give away Ida B's beloved trees, because her parents have another bomb to drop: She will have to attend public school. As Ida B accepts her sentence to take the "Yellow Prison of Propulsion," to the "Sacrificial Pit of Never-Ending Agony," she feels her heart twist into a "sharp, black stone that was small enough to fit into the palm of my hand. It was so hard nobody could break it and so sharp it would hurt anybody who touched it" (87). She vows to let no one - not teachers, classmates, or parents - inside.

When the new owners of the Applewoods' property starts ripping down trees to make way for a house, Ida B sees it as the ultimate betrayal. Her black heart blames the strangers who have stolen her parents' bodies. Bitter and friendless, Ida B must face the sorrows of her new life. With the help of a kind teacher and a kid who stinks at math, she might just be able to climb out of the pit of her despair. And maybe, just maybe, the trees will start talking to her again.

I'm not sure it's possible to describe the loveliness of this novel. It's a simple story told in the pitch-perfect voice of a brave young narrator. It's also a rich, moving tale that will speak to readers' hearts, however black they may be. The writing sparkles with whimsy and subtlety, making it a funny, heartwarming story you simply won't want to miss.

Grade: A

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know I avoid romance novels. I guess I'm a bit of a prude, but this genre just does not usually appeal to me. I mean, a love story is great, but I like some mystery or suspense mixed in. You probably also know that I don't like reading books in a series out of order. I prefer to start at the beginning and get to know the characters a little bit at a time. Considering those two pet peeves, I really should not have liked When A Man Loves A Woman by La Connie Taylor-Jones at all. Not only is the book a romance, but it's also the second novel in a series (although the first book focuses on different characters). The weird thing is, I actually liked it. I didn't love it, I didn't even really, really like it, but I didn't hate it either.

The story stars Victoria "Vic" Bennett, a nursing administrator living in Oakland, California. After the devastating end of her first marriage, she swears off men. Even after eight years, she simply will not open her heart to another man. Pediatrician A.J. Baptiste has other ideas, however, and he's not shy about letting his desires be known. His life plan involves making Vic his wife. Sure, Vic's attracted to him (after all, he's gorgeous, wealthy and loves children), but no one is going to boss her around. Besides, falling for him means exposing her very vulnerable heart, and that's something she's just not willing to do. She's so fed up with A.J. and his pursuit that she's leaving the Golden State for good.

When an emotional Vic hits A.J. with her car, everything changes. Although she was rearended, and not technically at fault, she feels responsible. While her brother, a police officer, works to track down the hit-and-run driver, Vic puts all her energy into helping AJ. recuperate. The more time she spends with him, the less control she has. Suddenly, she finds herself spilling all her secrets (and losing all her defenses). Her vulnerability scares her to death, and she can't decide whether to stay or run.

The appearance of a drug-addicted mother in A.J.'s clinic changes things once again. Both Vic and A.J. go out of their way to help her. Working together only strengthens their connection. What they don't know is that the young woman holds the key to finding out what really happened on the day of A.J.'s accident. For that and two other important reasons, she will become a vital part of Vic and A.J.'s lives.

With all this happening, it's no wonder Vic is losing control. Can she keep resisting A.J.'s advances? Does she even want to? Will she finally be able to put the past behind her and open her heart to the man who can't live without her? Or will she run away again?

It's a pretty simple, predictable plot, but there's enough action to keep things moving along. The fiery relationship between Vic and A.J. provides much of the entertainment (and some steamy sex scenes, which I skipped over like a good Mormon girl), although the mystery of the accident also makes up a lot of the novel. It's a quick read - not too complicated, and kind of sweet. I have my issues with When A Man Loves A Woman (huge, confusing cast; flat characters; graphic sex, etc.), but overall, it's not too bad. Still, my opinion can be summed up in the immortal words of Randy Jackson: "I don't know. I don't know, dawg. This one was just okay for me."

Grade: C