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Truth in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum REVIEW


Truth in the past. Truth in reality. Truth for tomorrow. Finally adjusting to life in small town Texas, Ashley Asher sees a glimmer of what happiness really is. Even her new relationship with the attentive Joshua Brandt shows promise of a first romance. But Ashley's fear of intimacy after years of unspeakable abuse may cause friction and distance in their relationship. Determined to prove to her that she's healing, Dr. Matt, her beloved therapist, shows her that "life is messy." And he doesn't know how messy it is about to get. When her mother decides that Ashley belongs back in their hometown with her, Ashley is forced into another family feud that she isn't prepared for. Refusing to leave behind the new life she created in Texas, Ashley and her mother go head-to-head. But can Ashley finally find the courage and strength to battle her demons when her mother might be the biggest demon of all?

Review

This story was raw. It was a hard story to tell, especially from an author who has lived through the struggles. I don't normally pick stories like this because of the memories they bring back, but I realized it had been a while and the author's connection to the subject matter caught my attention. It's nice to relate and see the passion and strength behind her words; to be able to witness what people can do with their life once they have overcome past struggles. This story held a strong, grounded message. It was hard not to cry at least once if not multiple times. It left my heart aching for those in similar situations. My favorite part of this book was the intertwining of Chris Crutcher's novel and the discussions and controversy it lead to between such diverse characters. The main plot involved a group of students from a small town in Texas who were told to read a novel with a main character who is a minority referencing any racial, religious, political, national, or other group thought to be different from the larger group of which it is part; leading to the entire class choosing Chris Crutcher’s novel, Whale Talk. In reality a perfect candidate for Mrs. Asher's reading assignment could have been Truth in Patience. Truth in Patience represented beautifully a minority from each of those categories. It was intriguing to see how both the minorities and antagonists reacted as they discussed how they were each represented in the class reading assignment. It held revelations to the struggles faced by the other party both internally and as the reader. This story held depth and was well constructed. It held the complement of the poem at the beginning that I did not begin to understand until halfway through the book to where the true meaning started to bloom. I would easily give Truth in Patience five out of five stars. The first message I took away from this book was to not hide behind your past, but face the truth and grow from it. The second message was the need to educate oneself in order to form their independent opinions of themselves as well as how perceive the world around you. You should never follow behind the group because it doesn’t make a wave and you should never let someone else’s opinion of you define who you are. I would highly recommend this to anyone that has been through abuse as it is helpful to know you are not alone in your fight.


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