About

 

I have published a book about the sexual abuse I experienced in childhood at the hands of brothers; how I survived, and how I found peace at last. I will post a free chapter each month on this blog until the entire book has been posted. I use a pseudonym only because it’s not about revenge but about healing, telling my truth, and finally lifting the unfair burden of shame. If you’d rather read it all at once, it’s available on Amazon: SHATTERED by Patricia J Grace.

 

BACK COVER

…Dad died and chaos ruled….

The only girl in a family of seven brothers, Patricia Grace found her childhood violently stripped away in the wake of her father’s death. Her brothers became tormentors, using their little sister as an outlet for rage and lust. Her mother, reeling with grief and fighting to raise eight children on her own, turned a blind eye to the abuse. Patricia learned to play the loving sister, desperate to maintain the illusion of happy family even as the shame festered inside.

Now, after decades of silence, she is telling her truth. ‘Shattered’ is the astonishing story of a girl coming of age in a house of secrets, and her battle as an adult to make peace with the past. Patricia relays her struggles with weight, depression, and self-esteem with searing honesty and rich emotional depth. Her unsparing prose paints an intimate portrait of courage and hope in the bleakest of circumstances. More than a memoir, ‘Shattered’ is a testament to the healing power of truth-telling and the resilience of the human spirit.

 

ABOUT ME

 Hi! I’m an author, poet, artist, and photographer. I’ve heard it said that everyone has one good book inside of them. Mine erupted out of me with the help of my youngest son who needed to know the truth and had the strength to listen.

For the last ten years, I’ve lived in the country on a small plot of land near a creek with my husband and cat. Both sons have grown up, graduated from college and live their lives elsewhere. I am lucky to have two adorable grandchildren close enough to stay with Na Na and remind me what it is to be a child and run through the fields giggling.

When the water’s just right we take canoe rides, and even if we can’t, living here is quiet and peaceful, just how I like it. I’ve put in some gardens and my photography focuses on the flowers I’ve planted after teasing the unforgivable clay soil to grow anything, quite a chore.

I also fill my time pleasantly in my studio where I roll out raw clay with a giant rolling pin, then cook it in the kiln after glazing the tiles. I break it with a hammer putting it back together inside old frames I collect at tag sales or filling in a design cut out of wood with a jigsaw. Join me in my studio and gardens on Facebook to see the MOSAICS or FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY.

Contact me at: patriciagrace536@gmail.com