Loretta Stimson (2009) Little Green. Portland, Hawthorne Books. 978-0-9790188-1-7

 

Loretta Stimson’s novel is a coming of age story about an orphaned 16-year old who runs away from her step-family and her experiences as a vulnerable-to-exploitation young woman.

[Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence]
[Spoiler alert].

Set in 1970’s West Coast USA, the novel follows the story of Janie Marek who leaves home, family and school, following the death of both her parents and her alienation from what remains. She takes brave risks, being exploited, raped and abused along the way, while having an underlying resilience. She finds what she takes to be love with a man ten years her senior who becomes increasingly addicted to drugs and alcohol and, in the process, increasingly violent and abusive towards her. Janie believes that she loves Paul and that the glimpses she has had of a good relationship with him at the beginning can be the whole of the relationship if only she can change him.

While again, focussing on the violent aspects of domestic abuse, with extreme violence being the trigger to Janie leaving the relationship, it does portray well several aspects of domestic abuse, such as policing of friends and other relationships, dictating what is acceptable to wear, some instances of gaslighting over where he has left the car keys) and Janie’s torturous (for both herself and the readers) beliefs that she can make him a better person and the excuses she tells herself for the abusive outbursts. It also showcases well her reluctance to leave him while she loves him.

It is a compelling read with a “it will be a happy-ever-after ending” coupled with fairy-tale like relationships of some of the other characters. Those addicted to drugs are portrayed in a stereotypical fashion as are the gender roles of all the characters.