Public Lies
Brenda Youngerman
Reviewed by Carianne Carleo-Evangelist
Public Lies by
Brenda Youngerman, the intriguing and attention-catching sequel to
Private Scars, packs a lot of punch into
its small size. The author creates a vivid story by balancing her real
life experiences with her ability to bring fictional characters to
life.
The crucial realization for this story is the multi-layered nature of
domestic abuse. We often hear news stories of a
person
being abused and can’t help but wonder how, or why they didn’t leave.
Youngerman’s tale seeks to address some of that when she touches on how
deep
abuse can run. The reader learns how quickly everything can turn, how
quickly
“Prince Charming” becomes the “Big Bad Wolf” or worse.
However, Youngerman doesn’t focus on the bad. She wants to
educate, to help the public understand why leaving isn’t always leaving
the
past behind. By telling this through the eyes of Nancy’s
children, she shows how the abuse affects everyone. It highlights the
uncertainties the abuse raises and how deep it runs. Can a family
recover?
There is no doubt that Youngerman succeeds, you can’t read this and not
learn
about the issues that often lie beneath the surface of news coverage on
domestic violence.
While educating, Youngerman doesn’t allow the family’s
message to be lost. That’s the benefit of telling the tale through the
family’s
eyes – the long lasting effects and when you think it’s gone quiet,
when you
think you’re safe, the abuser is back.
Although a harrowing tale to read, Public Lies is a
wonderfully crafted story. I look forward to Hidden Truths when
it’s published next
year.