Book Summary for Behind Closed Doors

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The second book I read during Trimester 1, A block was Behind Closed Doors by Susan R Sloan. It is 467 pages long. I started it on September 22nd and finished it on September 27th . It is a novel of rare emotional intensity- a gripping drama of an all-American family with shocking secrets. It started off in 1955, while visiting her sister in Boston; Valerie O'Connor met and fell in love with Jack Marsh, the friend of her brother in law's brother. They saw each other every day until she returned home to her parents in Portland; Jack followed. Shortly after he asked her parents for their permission to marry Valerie and although they had some doubts about the man's character, they gave their blessing. Their wedding night was a disaster as Jack was only interested in satisfying his needs and as a result, Valerie had a lifelong regret. She started to notice Jack’s demanding behavior but thought nothing of it. She did her duty and was thrilled when she birthed five children before she was told she could not have any more due to a health reason (which was really the result of Jack’s harsh treatment). As the years passed, Jack became increasingly abusive, hitting not only her but also their children. When they got older, their kids left. One became a nun; another turned to prostitution; two went to jail; and the last died at age seven when a raged Jack threw her off the roof when he was in an uncontrollable rage. The anger that Valerie tried to keep in check for years finally explodes when Jack started to abuse one of their grandchildren. Valerie grabbed the nearest item which was a heavy cast iron skillet … and hit him as hard as she could on Jack’s head, making him die. I think the theme is love, fear, rage, regret, and the patterns of brutality and silence can haunt generations of one family. The mom, Valerie, gets damaged emotionally and physically-changing her

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