The Patience Trilogy by Beth Fehlbaum
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Courage in Patience
Courage to endure.
Courage to survive.
Courage to overcome.
Tenacious 14-year-old Ashley Asher claws her way back to normalcy after enduring six years of an unimaginable Hell. Uprooted from her negligent and selfish mother, Ashley finds solace in the safety of her father’s home. Building a relationship with her stepmother, she’s finally able to open up and confront the past that haunts her.
With the help of her stepmom, therapist, and a group of troubled adolescents, Ashley battles her demons, struggling to find the normal teenage life she’s always wanted. Can Ashley find the strength and courage to overcome the horrors of her past while fighting for the future she so deserves?
REVIEW
Not having heard of this series before I started with the first book in the series Courage in Patience therefore that is the book I am reviewing. I found the book considerably different than any other young adult books that I read before. Some people say young adult fiction is 12-20 years old, others say it is 15-20 years old, but this is a dark and troubling book and as an adult in my forties I found more parts than not difficult to read. Therefore, I think this book is appropriate for mature older teens and above. While reading, it surprised me at the number of disconcerting topics that the author covered from molestation, rape, gay bashing, mental abuse, to the KKK who are involved in severe beatings, pet poisoning plus other atrocities. Some of the previous things mentioned are written in graphic detail. Beth Fehlbaum is quite a bold author to take on such a slew of demanding topics in a young adult book although it is a bit overwhelming. As to the actual writing, I did encounter grammatical and spelling mistakes.
“”Honey, our quiet little town has enough problems without bringing the homosexuals here. If they find out they’re welcome in the books our kids read, they’ll think they can just move in here and live among us, too!...””
Though the book consists of numerous tough topics the author did a favorable job of finding positive aspects to add to the prose. Such as, Fehlbaum does an excellent job of explaining P.T.S.D; even better than I have read some therapists describe it. My favorite part of the story is when an important character who followed others and did what he was told stood up for what he believed in and became his own person. Also, the main character with psychological help starts to make some progress in dealing with what happened to her. You should take a chance with this book and see if the positive aspects outweigh the negative for you. As for me, I am not sure yet if I will continue on with the series.
"Thank you, Xpresso Book Tours, for allowing me to give an honest review”
PURCHASE:
AUTHOR BIO:
In addition to writing Young Adult Contemporary Fiction, Beth Fehlbaum is a high school English-Language Arts teacher who frequently draws on her experience as an educator to write her books. She has a B.A. in English, Minor in Secondary Education, and an M.Ed. in Reading.
Beth is a featured author on the 2015-2016 Spirit of Texas Reading List- High School for the Kirkus Starred Reviewed Big Fat Disaster (Merit Press/F+W Media, March 2014) and The Patience Trilogy: Courage (1), Hope (2), and Truth (3) (Steady On Books, April 2016).
Beth is a member of the RAINN (Rape , Abuse, Incest National Network) Speakers’ Bureau. She has a following in the young adult literature world and also among survivors of sexual abuse because of her work with victims’ advocacy groups.
She has been the keynote speaker at the National Crime Victims’ Week Commemoration Ceremony at the Hall of State in Dallas, Texas and a presenter for Greater Texas Community Partners, where she addressed a group of social workers and foster children on the subject of “Hope.”
Beth is in-demand as a panelist, having presented/appeared at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference, the American Library Association’s annual conference, YALSA, and N.C.T.E./ALAN, and she is a member of The Author’s Guild.
She is a survivor of a traumatic childhood, like Ashley in The Patience Trilogy, and the day-to-day manager of an eating disorder much like Colby’s in Big Fat Disaster. These life experiences give her a unique perspective, and she writes her characters’ stories in a way meant to inspire hope.
Beth lives with her family in the woods of East Texas.
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