Holding on to Hurt
Paperback and e-book, 229 pages
Published May 21st 2017 by Createspace
I dread that every day I live, I’m one day further away from my life with Scottie
Irene Hurt has always dreamed of having a large family with her adoring husband Bruce. That dream is shattered when her doctor performs a hysterectomy after the birth of her only son Scottie. Though heartbroken, Irene accepts the outcome and cherishes every moment with her son and her husband, until ... the day she gets the call every mother dreads. Scottie is injured in a mass school shooting and is rushed to the ICU, where he's put into a medically induced coma to wait out his fate. Devastated, Bruce pulls away and even tries to convince Irene to remove Scottie's life support, to save his son from a life of lesser existence. But, Irene refuses to give up hope.
On her journey through grief, denial, anger and finally, acceptance, Irene discovers more about the events of that tragic day, the boy who shot her son and then took his own life, and the husband she thought she knew and could trust.
Will Scottie pull through and, once again, be the glue that keeps this family together? Or, will Irene accept that sometimes, the best thing a mother can do for her child is let go?
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)
First line—"I smile and suck in the aroma of hazelnut as I reach for my new fuzzy slippers. I love it when he buys me flowers and little gifts, and writes sweet notes on the mirror, but to wake up to the heavenly scent of freshly brewed coffee is a love language that speaks louder than words."
First of all, I need to give some cover love to this amazing cover. It is so beautiful and enticing. It totally drew me in.
Holding on to Hurt is about a subject that probably a lot of us have been touched by in some way—school shootings. This really has become too common of an occurrence any more. This story takes us into the lives of a family, and a community, that is going through this.
Scottie is one of the students who has been shot and the family has to cope with the healing, or potential death, of their loved one. Irene and Bruce, Scottie's parents, deal with this incident in different ways and it becomes a wedge in their once loving relationship. Will they be able to find their way back to each other?
I found myself totally engrossed in the drama of this story. Like I said, school shootings are sadly becoming more common and Holding on to Hurt gave me a small glimpse of what families go through when they find themselves in this situation. Tough decisions have to be made and love can't be thrown away.
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About the author
I’m originally from Denmark but moved to the States ten years ago with my husband, a little chubby baby Alfred, and lots of hopes and dreams. We now live in Seattle and have added two more members to the family—the twincesses Emma and Olivia, and, oh well, Einstein, a tiny bearded dragon.
When I’m not “Mom,” I spend all my free time writing, re-writing, researching, reading, observing people, and making stories and characters in my head (and speak with them a little, too). My favorite spot is my local Starbucks, where my imagination runs wild—or works as a sponge soaking up whatever I encounter. The world is by far the greatest inspiration!
Fun facts about me:
Favorite food/drink: Big hot lattes paired with dark chocolate (I mean, what’s not to like?)
Most memorable moment: When my babies were born.
What most people don’t know about me: I did my first performance when I was three—singing and dancing on a bar top in Italy.
Most challenging experience: Participating in “71 Nord”—a Danish version of Survivor/Amazing Race. (PS. I won)
Most embarrassing moment: Snoring LOUDLY on national TV (it was not pretty)
One of my proudest moments: Reading my first review on Amazon
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