Carin Jayne Casey’s heroine in My Dear Rosa Jean is a mature woman trying to understand her emotionally-charged past. Rosa Jean narrates her family history in the Prologue, and from that point we are hooked. The concise, no-nonsense prose tells us that the narrator is not a pitiful victim, but an intelligent woman on a quest with no time for wallowing in self-pity.
The author set out to write an entertaining novel that would help “anyone who may have suffered from child abuse or domestic violence, whether directly or indirectly.” She has succeeded. The narrator’s Aunt Grace is her sounding board. The grace with which she receives her niece’s story, much of which she was unaware of, is the reader’s role model for how to be a helpful friend to one “going through.”
As the story unfolds, we also see the pivotal role that an employer, an attorney, and even bystanders can play in recognizing abuse and supporting the victim in that moment.
The only thing I would add to this novel is an index for easy reference to key concepts. My list includes: child abuse, co-dependency, controlling techniques, escalating abuse, financial abuse, the Hook, legal difficulties, manipulation, parental abuse, pity parties, PTSD, why women don’t fight back, why women return, why women stay, and workplace support.
Carin Jayne Casey is a DV advocate whose mantra is “Awareness. Compassion. Recovery. Peace.” It is not surprising that she has written a novel which advocates can use for public awareness, and also as a tool for those in bondage or in recovery.
Angela Brown
Founder of Yeshua’s House
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