John Emil Augustine

This work deals with a very tough and often unspoken subject: bullying and spousal abuse at the hands of a woman. There were so many aspects I could relate to as I read this. One of the major parts is at the beginning when John tries to justify the treatment he's given at the hands of Cindi. In his mind, he wasn't trying hard enough or being supportive enough to make her happy so he tried to compromise and prayed he would be enough.

It's often a rocky road when clarification is reached: for some it takes a lot longer than others and one should not judge unless he or she is in that position. It takes a certain amount of bravery to share such an experience--to move past the shame. Yet in From the Abyss John acknowledges not only the pain but also how his poor and delayed decisions also contributed to the torment. He could have easily stayed in those moments of anger or guilt but by taking the extra steps to share with others, see things from a different perspective and educate by example, he is providing a ray of hope for others and letting them know "You are not alone and there's a way out."

Well written and applaud the storytelling cadence to this work. I really felt like he was unafraid to share all aspects of himself and I look forward to reading the next book.

(For an extended review on this work, stay tuned to the KARR segment of The Review Board in the coming weeks.)… (mehr)