Book Review: Breaking the Silence by Nancy King

Secrets. Lies. Silences. Stories told by parents and their families to protect themselves. A father who defends his wife despite her damage to their daughter’s health and welfare. A mother, shielded by her husband, who perpetuates murderous acts of violence against the daughter, and keeps secret her husband’s sexual “play” with the young girl. And yet … Nancy King, determined to learn the truth of her childhood and the heartbreaking effects it has had on her adult life, uncovers the secrets. Sees through the lies. Breaks the silence. Empowered by the stories she told herself as a child, she learns to use stories as part of her work as a university professor teaching theater, drama, world literature, and creative expression. Gradually, with the help of body work and therapy, she finds her voice. Says no to abuse and abusers. Reclaims herself and life. Writes a memoir. She climbs mountains. Weaves tapestries. Writes books. Makes friends. Creates a meaningful life. This is her story.

 

Review by Carmen Otto: Breaking the Silence is a book about a woman who grew up believing she was never good enough and believed everything her mother told her. Her father never stood up for Nancy and always took her mother’s side even though he saw the abuse Nancy’s mother put her through. As Nancy grows up, she decides to learn the truth about her childhood, all the lies she was told and the abuse she got put through as a child. She goes to see a therapist to help her through the trauma she had been through as a child. She starts to hike and write stories to help her through the abuse that she suffered as a child. As she ages, she learns that she should have stood up to her mother because as a child all of the emotional and physical trauma she put Nancy through made Nancy’s grown-up life a roller coaster. 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it is about how a woman copes after being mentally and physically abused most of her life and as she gets older, she finds refuge in hiking and writing stories. At some parts I could really connect with Nancy because she is amazing at making new friends and is a great listener, she listens to everyone else's problems all while dealing with her own. I would recommend this book to anyone who grew up feeling like they were never good enough and want to become confident in who they truly are. I give this book 5 stars.

Carmen is a high school freshman from Wisconsin! She lives and works on her family’s dairy farm. Carmen is a reader, swimmer and horse lover who enjoys laughing and being silly with her friends!

 

Book Review: Finding Myself in Borneo

Finding Myself In Borneo is a colorful memoir with a difference! The book is described as author Neill McKee's honest and buoyant chronicle of a young Canadian man's adventures during 1968-70, while teaching secondary school as a CUSO (Canadian University Service Overseas) volunteer in Sabah, Malaysia (North Borneo). But it is much more than that for any reader. Neill relates with detailed, vivid descriptions his ups and down with the various cultural, social, and political markers of the era that readers will recognize.

However, for me, this is less a memoir and more of an immersive adventure for the reader who might be interested in memoirs but is also bitten by the travel bug and the desire to explore foreign climes and cultures. Neill has a descriptive style of writing that is quite wonderful. He is able to insert into the narrative an enormous amount of information about the country, the climate, the cuisine, the culture, and the mindset of the people without overwhelming the reader. The writing could be described as cinematic as I certainly found myself absorbed in the narrative and was able to visualize the colorful details especially with the inclusion of photos in the text.

Neill is totally honest about his experiences, ranging from learning to teach in a totally foreign environment to learning about life in general and indeed learning about love in particular. His interpretations of the people and religion, politics and culture come from a positive and open mind, and a willingness to embrace a new ethos. The years of his stay in the region were punctuated with disruption and danger at times, clashes between various groups and political rumblings. This was the dark side of the seemingly paradisiac environment in which he felt he’d initially arrived. Interestingly, his time in Borneo sparked his enthusiasm for movie making and an adventure taken as a young man resulted in a career and a life of travel and exploration.

One of the most charming features of this book was the discovery that North Borneo is, indeed, J.R.R. Tolkien's famed Middle-Earth of The Lord of the Rings! He and his American Peace Corps buddy, Peter Ragan, established the North Borneo Frodo Society, an organization Tolkien joined. What an honor! Interestingly, Neill was able to match up various elements of the story with the landscape, including the discovery of Mount Doom! A history of the NBFS is found at the end of the book. I liked the references at the close of the book for readers interested in learning more about the region and its history. There is also a detailed bibliography. A brief history of North Borneo as an end note puts the location into historical and political context. A glossary of Malay words and expressions is also included.

About the Author: Neill McKee is a creative nonfiction writer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. McKee, who holds a B.A. Degree from the University of Calgary and a Masters in Communication from Florida State University, lived and worked internationally for 45 years and became an expert in communication for social change. He directed and produced of a number of award-winning documentary films/videos and multi-media initiatives and authored numerous articles and books on development communication. During his international career, McKee worked for Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, UNICEF, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; Academy for Educational Development, Washington, D.C. and FHI 360, Washington, D.C. He worked and lived in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda and Russia for a total of 18 years and traveled to over 80 countries on short-term assignments. 

Book Review: The Journal of Ted Terrier

The Journal of Ted Terrier by Pawthor Ted Terrier and his scribe (also a Pawthor) Emma Knight just has to be one of the funniest and wittiest observations I have read on humans and their erratic behaviour, from a dog’s point of view. Ted Terrier, a more than intelligent Jack Russell, lays his family bare, revealing the universal human condition of weakness, insecurity, foibles, and failings, seeing life though rose-coloured specs, and the many other silly human things that silly humans do. His journal spares no one and from six-foot-something head of the family Peter, to depressed mum Jane, to amanuensis sibling Emma (who struggles to hold onto her creativity, hence this book to help her get it back), to the various visitors (so few…), Ted gives readers the benefit of his psychological observations. He is honest, fair, and alarming perceptive, especially if you are a human reading this book and you recognise some of your (ahem) failings as a member of the dominant species.

Pawthor Ted Terrier

Ted starts right off by confessing his obsession with feet, and gives us a description of his family’s feet. The smells of his family’s feet, to be exact. Interesting. That gives readers an idea of how dogs see humans: as smells, not as looks and height. Anyone taller than a human child is very big to a small dog. On the philosophical side, Ted waxes lyrical as he explains the difference between human and dog thinking. Humans’ problem is they think too much and they end up confusing themselves and making their own lives difficult. From there he touches on the benefits of Sunday walks (and everyone knows every day should be Sunday); the problem with religion; how bad it is to get upset; what exactly is black comedy; and what really matters in life. On a practical side, he observes that dogs have it much easier because they wear their clothes (fur) all the time, and how communication with humans can be difficult (i.e. what not to do to visitors’ legs).

The absolutely fantastic illustrations give readers a very clear picture of what happens in Ted’s household and I had many laugh-out-loud moments. Witty, sometimes acerbic, and with comic observations any human will appreciate, The Journal of Ted Terrier will make you see your dog in a very different light. Have you ever said or thought, “If only the dog could talk…” Don’t think that. The dog might surprise you! (Five Stars!)

Keep up with Ted’s observations on life by visiting his Facebook page and his blog.