by Wendy Lynn Decker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Coming of Age/Christian
fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The
fourth anniversary of Olivia’s daddy and John Lennon’s death is approaching.
Like the shot heard ’round the world, TV and radio stations keep the frenzy
alive and recognize Lennon’s life, while Olivia’s mama remembers Daddy’s death.
Instead of healing, Mama’s strange behavior keeps getting worse.
After viewing an
afternoon talk show, Olivia discovers her mother might have more than a case of
eccentricity – she may be mentally ill. When those fears are confirmed, Olivia
is faced with more decisions than any sixteen-year-old should have to make.
With no adult family members to turn to, she is forced to trust the only people
who’ve offered help: one strange man and a friend her mother makes at the
mental institution.
Facing the intricacies
of her mother’s illness one minute and the decision to have sex with her new
boyfriend the next, Olivia finds that through faith and determination, she can
conquer it all in this poignant story of love, intuition, compassion, and hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
p. 30
The emergency room at Henry Medical Center smelled like
cigarette smoke and urine washed over with antiseptic. I’d never been there
before, and I didn’t expect to see so many people that resembled those with the
symptoms the doctor on the talk show spoke about. Although most needed physical
care, many seemed to need mental health care, and this wasn’t a mental
hospital.
Some of the people roamed about like zombies in B-movies.
Their vacant stares said, “I’m still here, please come find me.” Many of the
patients were pacing, as if they were taking part in some kind of ritual. Some
shouted words at random. One woman seemed to be speaking in a language only she
could understand. I was afraid to make eye contact with anyone, for fear
someone would approach me. But I knew I had to look around the room.
An old woman with only one-half of her head braided asked me
for a cigarette. One already hung from her twisted lips. It felt like we had
wandered into a secret society meeting, and we had better find Mama and get out
while we could.
I overheard one of the nurses say to another, “It must be a
full moon tonight.”
“My goodness,” the other nurse responded. “I haven’t seen it
like this in quite some time. That strong lunar force is drawing them out like
vampires to a blood bank.”
CeCe and I approached the desk. “Excuse me, ma’am,” CeCe
said to the desk clerk. “The police told us a woman that fits our mother’s
description has been brought here.”
“What’s her name?”
“Cassandra Travis,” I answered, surprised at how faint my
voice sounded.
She thumbed through her roster. “The police brought in a
Jane Doe. We’ve been asking her name, but she won’t tell us.” The clerk
motioned toward a nurse. “They’re here to see Jane Doe in room twelve.”
The nurse nodded and said, “Follow me.”
I thought of Luke and was glad we’d left him at home.
CeCe and I followed the nurse down a long corridor. Blue
curtains covered doorways on each side. We approached the last room on the
left, and the nurse pulled a chart from a hook on the wall. She opened the
curtain. “This is Jane Doe.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wendy Lynn
Decker has lived in thirteen different towns in the state of New Jersey. Now,
she lives a bike ride away from the ocean and her favorite restaurant. She is
the author of the middle-grade chapter book, THE BEDAZZLING BOWL, which is the
first book intended for a series.
Find her here:
www.wendylynndeckerauthor.com
WendyDecker19 -
http://www.twitter.com/wendydecker19
LinkedIn -
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/wendy-lynn-decker/46/166/3a2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment