Why this book? Why now?
This book is for our daughters, all of them,
but most especially the ones we lose.
The main character in DAUGHTER OF THE WEEDS comes from a home where a pattern of domestic violence is perpetuated every generation for hundreds of years, ending the lives of her mother and sister. This book is a work of fiction, but was inspired by my experience growing up in a violent home and later the death of a close family member in a violent marriage.
There was evidence, but no witnesses to what happened.
There was an arrest.
There was no prosecution for her death.
The DA’s policy was not to prosecute cases where she believed she could lose. Dead women don’t testify against their abusers.
An infant and a toddler were left motherless.
As I researched domestic violence, I learned that 50% of domestic violence murders go unsolved. I needed a story where the law failed, but justice is delivered by God, fate, the universe, or karma (pick whatever you believe in). Women deserve safety at home, at work, and in the world. Abusers must be held accountable. When violence is normalized, children grow up to associate love with abuse. It’s insidious. Your “normal” is not normal. Secrecy breeds shame. Shame breeds low self-esteem. Low self-esteem breeds acceptance of abuse. The cycle continues.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately 10 million people each year are affected by domestic violence. Women are the most common direct victims, but violence and abuse affect everyone in the household.
Each year, approximately 500,000 women are physically assaulted or raped by an intimate partner.
Three out of 10 women at some point are stalked, physically assaulted, or raped by an intimate partner.
More than half of domestic violence murders go unsolved.
Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, in his seminal work, The Body Keeps The Score, examines how the brain and body absorb, transfer, and heal from trauma. His work explains why the patterns of abusive relationships continue over generations. I’ve witnessed this play out repeatedly.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, please seek help. You deserve safety. You deserve love. You deserve to live a full life. The character in my story died and left a child behind. When you protect yourself, you are protecting your children and the generations to follow. On average, a woman makes 7 attempts to leave before succeeding. When you take care of yourself, you are taking care of your loved ones.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
For legal assistance, shelter, and advocacy in New Mexico, contact the Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC) at https://dvrcnm.org/
