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| Journey to the Magical Places of the Heart
The effects of domestic violence are similar to walking through a raging storm. For the victim of domestic violence, the storm rages within them as they go about their daily lives; few are aware of
the storm they are facing. The abuser is able to transform themselves to adjust to their surroundings. Many times the victim is perceived as paranoid or emotionally out of control. Yet, the abuser is seen as very pleasant, friendly, and cool-headed. Victims of domestic violence endure raging storms in the forest of emotions. The storms are those of guilt, shame, fear, and isolation, just to name a few. The agencies that stand ready to help them get to safety and healing are those in the meadow of hope. The magical transformation takes place when a victim of domestic violence begins to grow, finding a safe place to share their secrets that they hear as whispers in their soul. Once they are free to share, they can be free to heal. They will find themselves transforming into the phoenix as they leave behind their past in a pile of ashes and rise again to begin a new life.
Reviews: "I’ll say it right up front: Journey to the Magical Places of the Heart is a book you must read; not only those who have been or are now in an abusive situation but also those who are fortunate not to be. There is much to learn about the millions of wives suffering this terrible fate and I commend Hope Fields for bringing it to our attention. Hope Fields takes us to the depths of her soul in this book yet her writing style remains easy to read. Before we realize it, she has us living our lives side-by-side with Shenique. We suffer through those years of her marriage to Ainsley, trying to fight back but blocked at each attempt. This talented author uses analogies and metaphors in her attempt to educate the reader. The warmth was gone in her marriage; the cold rain was a gentle reminder. She looked upon her husband as no longer a man but a wild animal. Ainsley was above the law and took every advantage of that fact with his actions. Her deep faith does not help Shenique; to the contrary, her church only supports Ainsley, making sure that his “needs” are met. Trying to honor those teachings, Shenique tries hard to please both her church and her husband. Time and again her escape to a normal marriage fails, only returning her to that frightful life of bondage. With the safety of her children at stake, Shenique was able to divorce Ainsley from their marriage even though it was very much frowned upon by the church and its congregation. Even the courts were not kind to her as she feared losing her children to Ainsley. Those of us who have not experienced such abuse learn about the heartache, the beaten esteem and the selflessness that consumes abused wives by reading this amazing story of life. The confusing thing to me all through this book is the lack of support Shenique received. A simple review cannot do it justice; you must read
it." - D Rae "Hope takes us through 11 years in the life of Shenique. There were red flags in the beginning, the subtle actions of an abuser you easily overlook. You feel Shenique's yearning for the man she fell in love with. Her physical pain at his hand, and her mental anguish as he hurts her children. You then travel with Shenique and her children as they 'Journey to the Magical Places of the Heart'
" -Barbie Durbin--Author
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