|
|
Brenda Youngerman
Contact
Profile
Title: Hidden Truths
Genre: Fiction/Family
Pages: 256
Synopsis:
The lives of four children are dramatically changed at the hands of their tormented parents in this gut-wrenching story of two families on a destructive journey of lies and secrets.
The death of his wife Patricia and the suspicious disappearance of his six-year-old son, Billy, leave Stan a broken bitter man who neglects older son Wayne, and turns to alcohol for comfort. Wayne is left alone to struggle with the loneliness and pain of Billy’s disappearance.
Meanwhile, sisters Gwen and Grace are abruptly split apart when their father, Jack, takes Grace and leaves. The abandonment unravels their mother, Alice, who selfishly sinks deep into drugs and alcohol while she ignores Gwen, except to sell her virginity for a quick fix. Grace is spared this life but is traumatized by her father’s ease of leaving her sister and mother.
Follow these four children as they strive through the lies and secrets, and watch as their lives converge into one unexpected moment.
--------------------
Hidden Truths
by Brenda Youngerman
Review by Deanna Lee Warren
----------
There is something dark and disturbing waiting to be revealed on the pages of a Brenda Youngerman book. And once again her descriptive writing style doesn’t let us down as she takes us behind the closed doors of an upper middle class family in the compelling story of Wayne and Billy Foster; two boys who suffer at the hands of their dysfunctional father. When their mother is tragically killed in a car accident, their father, consumed with his own grief, turns to alcohol for solace, accuses Billy of killing his mother, and sends him out into the dark of night to find her. Billy disappears. Over the years, Wayne never forgets Billy, and his search for his little brother begins.
This is the story of Grace and Gwen Nelson; two girls born to Jack Nelson and Alice Simpson. When Alice announces two weeks after the wedding that she is pregnant, her education ends, and her husband is forced into the workforce, ending his education. Life is a struggle. When Grace is born, she is a delightful child and a bond of love forms between mother and daughter. But when Gwen is born, there is no natural bonding, and the mother begins a downward spiral of alcoholism and drug addiction leaving one little girl to fend for the other. Grace is traumatized when she witnesses a shooting, and with a death threat hanging over her, she is terrorized until her father takes her away to live in another city. Gwen is left with her alcoholic, drug-addicted mother to suffer through her young life.
The story is full of twists and turns as Brenda Youngerman weaves her tale to bring the reader to a satisfying end where her antagonist gets the justice he deserves.
Brenda Youngerman’s unique writing style makes the characters come alive on the pages of this book. From the intriguing cover to the very last page as we follow her characters on their bumpy life journeys she instills fear, disgust, anger, and laughter in describing her characters and their actions as we are compelled to keep turning the pages in Hidden Truths.
I am delighted to add Brenda Youngerman to my list of favorite authors, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Thank you for allowing me to review this book.
--------------------
Hidden Truths
by Brenda Youngerman
Review by Tracy Fabre
----------
Brenda Youngerman has the ability to write about the "bad stuff" and yet find the good stuff all around it. In this novel, she introduces four young people who live very different lives -- some bad, some good -- and finds a way to interweave their stories into a cohesive whole. She also, while not excusing their behavior, gives some insight into the struggles of the adults who (for various reasons -- some also good and bad) bring pain into the lives of their children. It is obvious she cares very much about her characters, and makes them people we can care about, too. Good work, Ms. Youngerman!
|
|
Site Design & Maintenance provided by abitosunshine
All Rights Reserved.
Art is ©Billy Alexander and is used with permission.
All Rights Reserved.
All poetry & writings, photos & graphics are copyrighted.
Please respect my wishes that they not be used,
Nor be removed from these pages for any reason,
Without the written permission of myself and/or the artist.
Your cooperation is appreciated.
©2009 - Present, Reviews 4 Reviews
All rights reserved.
[Back to top of page]
|
