“What on earth?” you might be saying. Has Maryann lost all her marbles? This is Thursday, and it isn’t even one of her regular blogging days. So what gives? What gives is that I am participating in a book tour for Dana Leipold and this is the only day that was available to me to do a review. Besides I do like surprises, as long as they are good surprises. So, without further ado…
Burnt Edges
Dana Leipold
File Size: 554 KB
Print Length: 243 pages
Publisher: Random Chick Publishing (October 21, 2014)
ASIN: B00OI2A9VG
SYNOPSIS
Abuse or an uncertain future. This is Laurel Lee Page’s choice when she is faced with an unplanned pregnancy at 18. Born into a broken family, all she has ever known is guilt and shame. No matter what she does or who she meets, Laurel appears to be living a condemned life but she is determined to find independence and freedom in spite of her family’s legacy of hatred and self-contempt. Can Laurel see that she is in a powerful position, poised to break the cycle of abuse? Set in Southern California during the tumultuous 1960s era, Burnt Edges is based on true events and proves that strength can be found even in the most horrific situations.
REVIEW
There is much to applaud about this book, and I did enjoy the vivid descriptions that set the reader firmly in a scene and introduced the characters. One Amazon reviewer commented that there was a detachment about the writing style, as if the narrator, Laurel, was looking at events from afar. That helped establish a character who had been emotionally battered by the abuse she had experienced she was afraid to step out of that detachment lest she drown in her emotions.
Writers who base a story on true events have to carefully consider what of the truth needs to be in a book and what doesn’t. Not everything needs to happen in the story just because they happened in real life, and there were a couple of scenes that to me didn’t seem to fit. The timeline also jumped a lot and for the most part that worked effectively. However, there were a couple of places where we left a traumatic moment and I wanted to stay a little longer to experience Laurel’s emotional reaction. I also found a number of editing mistakes, especially in the second half of the book, and I wonder if it was not as carefully edited as the first half.
Despite those issues, this was a compelling read, and I did get so engrossed in the story that I was eager to see what came next. The author did a great job depicting the experiences of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, and readers will connect with Laurel and hope to see something good come to her to help her heal from the bad.
There is a giveaway for this tour. Visitors to the various stops on the tour will have a chance to win one of ten $10 Amazon gift cards, courtesy of the author. The contest ends 1/23.
Author Bio
Dana Leipold is a freelance writer, author, and member of the Association of Independent Authors and Creativity Coaching Association. Her debut novel,
Burnt Edges, depicts the unwavering resilience of a young woman in the face of family violence and abuse. She has self-published two other books: a collection of limericks in Dr. Seuss-style for adults entitled,
Stupid Poetry: The Ultimate Collection of Sublime and Ridiculous Poems, and a non-fiction book entitled,
The Power of Writing Well: Write Well. Change the World. In addition, she coaches other writers on story structure, messaging, and writing skills so they can achieve their dreams to become published authors. Leipold lives with her husband and two children in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sounds like quite a tough but rewarding read. Congrats to Dana!
It was a tough read, Nick. But it was an honest look at the effects of abuse and how those who have been abused carry emotional scars for years.
Thank you for your honest review! I am truly honored. And I went back and caught those editing mistakes you mentioned. Next time, I will not try to rush the last half!
You’re welcome, Dana. Glad you fixed the mistakes. No matter how many times we go through our own books, we miss things. That’s why I always hire an editor even though I am an editor. 🙂