I have just finished reading this fantastic novel by Elizabeth Haynes. What struck me most was when i came to the final page, was how hard it was for me to read. Not through quality or deliverance, but through the content, which was at times downright unsettling. It really touched me.
This was a story, despite being a work of fiction that needed to be told and needs to be told more often. The writer should be proud of herself for not shying away from any aspect of domestic abuse, whether it be physical violence, mental torture or rape. The writer says in an interview at the end that she will have 'fewer friends once people read the book' I wholeheartedly disagree.
The story follows Catherine, an ordinary woman who finds herself in the arms of an abusive partner. The novel is skillfully written, instead of chapters it is seperated by time, the past and future. The past being the horrific relationship, and the future being Catherine trying to build a new life. This makes the story a real page turner, as despite the terribly abusive past, there is always the hope for the reader that Catherine recovers.
Elizabeth refused to do what many writers would have done - to create a happy ever after, rosey future. Instead, the future for Catherine was plagued by mental illness for many years, giving the story a heartbreaking realism of what millions of women (and men) go through on a daily basis following the trauma of domestic abuse. This was clearly well researched, showing the work that Elizabeth put into creating this novel.
Despite the difficult subject, this is a really thrilling novel to read. The writer manages to create physical feelings of emotion in the reader, which is the sign of a tremendous author.
I will definately be heading to my local bookshop to look for more of the authors work. And if you want to find out what happens to Catherine then I recommend you do the same.
Thanks for reading
Thomas
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