4 out of 4 stars
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Nine Lives by Erin Lee explores what happens when a family is torn apart by accusations of child abuse. This book is a fictional story of how all of the family members are affected in their own personal ways. It also deals with the reactions of people in the family's church and community.
Laina and Faith Nelson have grown up with their seven siblings; the oldest three no longer live at home. Their parents have always been strict and have a strong Catholic faith. Laina and Faith take teenage rebellion to whole new level when they tell everyone their father has touched them inappropriately. This causes many rifts between the family members as they take sides. Of course all of the local child protective agencies get involved and each of them has an opinion on who is telling the truth also. Is it true that children never lie about such a thing? Will the wife defend her husband no matter what? This story is an interesting journey to find the truth and healing, not just for members of the family.
This book is at times difficult to read as it deals with very sensitive subject matter. Erin Lee presents the story in a clear, factual manner. I like the way the story is told from the standpoint of the different characters so you get insight into their deeper feelings. Part of me felt sad for Laina and Faith but when they didn’t seem want to help themselves and acted like spoiled brats I felt angry at them. This book brought out strong emotions in me. I could understand the Mother’s frustration with the girls and with the system that didn’t seem to understand the challenges she was facing in trying to do what’s best for the whole family.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The writing style helps you to get to know the characters. Her style is not predictable; you cannot be sure how a character will react to a situation or what might trigger them to share a piece of truth as they see it so there are surprises along the journey. It made me want to keep reading to learn what would happen next. I think this book will appeal to anyone who is interested in reading about family relationships and how they can be destroyed and possibly restored. There are discussion questions at the end that would make this a good book for a group read; I think it would be a great way for people to share and explore their feelings about family structures and abusive relationships. This is the second book I have read by Erin Lee and I will be looking for more.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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Nine Lives
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