Carla Stewart (2011) Broken Wings New York, Faith Works. 978-0-446-55656-9

 

This book follows the stories of two women whose lives coincide at a hospital. One woman is volunteering to fill the time between visits to her husband who has Alzheimer’s and now lives in a care facility; the other a wife with injuries that seem inconsistent with the explanation she gives.

[Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence]

[Spoiler alert]

The story goes on to relate the developing relationship between Mitzi and Brooke until Brooke feels able to confide in her and eventually leave her abusive husband, a prominent lawyer and candidate for District Attorney. She stays with Mitzi, unravels some of her childhood relationships and falls in love with the son of Mitzi and Gabe’s former music act manager.

The publisher gives a clue to the background to the novel, which is framed from a perspective of characters practising a Christian faith. Stewart’s profile states that her “writing reflects her passion for times gone by, cherished relationships and the mystery of God…”

The younger female character experiences two very violent attacks from her husband. The first he splits open her cheek, requiring stitches and leaving permanent scarring and the second where he damages her shoulder. As first-off violent episodes these seem a little unrealistic and although the hospital staff are sceptical about her explanation, they don’t follow these up. This is not the only unbelievable element of the book.

The storyline includes some elements of control and stalking. Although the husband has a stereotypical high-flying job, the female character does have a career of her own as a paralegal, albeit that once free from family expectations, she considers an alternative path. It was also good to see a strong female lead who leaves and remains resolute in her decision throughout.

In the Acknowledgements, Carla Stewart begins by stating that she “…beagn writing […] and chose domestic abuse and Alzheimer’s as the events to connect [her] characters” (my italics). For the first time I felt resentful of an author “choosing” such a topic without knowledge and, it would seem, only the most rudimentary of research. She does say she has seen it happen to someone else, but has more direct experience of Alzheimer’s in her husband’s family.