4 Stars
Set in Dublin in 2018, this novel highlights the harsh realities of life faced by women wanting to escape from intimate partner abuse.
Ciara Fay makes a spontaneous decision to leave her psychologically abusive husband Ryan, taking her daughters, 4-year-old Sophie and 2-year-old Ella, with her. With no financial means or network of support, they end up living in a hotel room on a floor reserved for unhoused families like hers. She faces so many obstacles as she tries to make a new life for herself and her children.
The novel focuses on emotional rather than physical abuse. Thus far Ryan has never hurt her though he has coerced her to have sex. His abuse is more subtle and so more difficult to convey or prove. On the surface he is handsome and a good provider; he shows the world only his attentiveness towards his family. Ciara knows that “his kindness is a choice. A decision he makes in order to achieve an end.” In private he is totally domineering. Prone to unpredictable outbursts of anger, he targets his wife. He controls the family finances, monitors Ciara’s movements, isolates her from family and friends, and belittles her so any self-confidence is totally undermined.
Ciara faces so many obstacles. Having been financially dependent on Ryan, she has few savings to provide for herself and her children. Finding housing proves to be a never-ending search. She has no support system in Dublin and has to navigate bureaucratic red tape. Her attempts to find housing and a job are complicated by her having to look after two young children. Her discovery that she is pregnant only adds to her difficulties.
And of course there’s the emotional toll. She is disheartened, confused, and fearful. Ryan’s gaslighting has sown self-doubt in Ciara’s mind so she is often questioning her judgment and decision: Is leaving the right thing to do or should she go back as she did once before? She and other women like her come to learn that “’Leaving is one thing, but saying away is another.’” Ryan pressures her to return. Feeling she has lost herself, the only voice she hears in her mind is Ryan’s. And there’s the shame she feels because of her situation and because she placates Ryan for fear of what he might do.
I found this a very tense read because I was totally invested in the fate of Ciara and her children. Ryan is a volatile character so every encounter with Ryan is fraught with danger: how will he threaten and intimidate her? Will Ciara be able to find appropriate housing and support her family? Will she be able to overcome Ryan’s brainwashing, fight his manipulation, and find the courage to stay away?
Some of the symbolism is heavy-handed. There’s the nestling crow that Ryan brings home, supposedly to help it. Despite odds, it survives, but ends up a captive. Kept on a tether, it becomes something Ryan can control. He seems to have no real affection for it; instead, the crow becomes a source of entertainment. Obviously the crow’s life parallels Ciara’s, as does its fate at the end.
This is a disturbing but compelling read. There is no doubt that it is a realistic portrayal of the almost impossible odds a woman can face if she makes the life-altering choice to leave an abusive relationship.
Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
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