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One effect of severe traumatic violence is that it cuts its victims off from connecting, even among those present in the experience. Perhaps of even greater effect, such trauma cuts victims off from themselves—from a conscious monitoring of emotion, reaction, and reality. Solace, which documents the testimony and memories of seven siblings who grew up as the well-behaved silent children of a well-respected religious father and businessman, looks into a the private space of their life long memories as they begin to recreate and redefine the concept of family and of survival. Colleen Mills masterfully gives voice through vignetted snap shots of shame, connection and disconnection, leading you through a maze of tenderness and pain you’ll never be able to shake.
“A deeply disquieting and hypnotic read, where memory delivered in snapshots provides sparks of unexpected beauty. The most powerful things are those that are left unsaid—I am not sure I could be friends with anyone who isn’t left reeling by this book.” Jane Davis, author of Half-truths and White Lies
"With stunning imagery and raw emotion, Colleen Mills has accomplished something extraordinary: a searing, scarring, beautiful work of art." NYT bestselling author Joni Rodgers “An original, skillfully crafted observational narrative ... touching and often unsettling, taking us right under the skin of family dysfunction.” Dan Holloway, author of Evie and Guy |
