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Running from Solace
by
Nakia R. Laushaul (Goodreads Author)
"She passed a hard candy over her shoulder as though whatever was in the tiny wrapper was supposed to make it all better. I clutched the peppermint in my hand and buried my face in the hard leather seat while she explained what was going to happen to me. She promised that I'd be safe from then on." And so begins the journey of Naomi, whose amazing story picks up where the...more
Paperback, 276 pages
Published
April 16th 2011
by Serendipity Bound Books
(first published April 14th 2011)
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Apr 23, 2011
Pjaye Alexander
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone
My writer's eyes read a story about a young girl named Naomi that persevered through years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of her mother Nola and her mother's boyfriend Uncle C. After being removed from her mother’s home she endures the foster system and puts herself through college. However, her emotional wounds are still so deep and fresh that they bleed out of her permanent scars left from childhood. Her marriage is suffering and eventually her whole life unravels when she meets a y...more
Very well written book. The author does an excellent job in bringing you into the lives of the characters. When reading I experience several emotions. The story was so real and I can relate so well. In ministering to women as well as experiencing my self, emotional and physical abuse leads to confusion and uncertainty as to who you are. It leaves emotional scars that only God can heal. Thanks so much to the author and we look forward to many more great books.
Title: Running from Solace
Author: Nakia Laushaul
Rating: 5
Headline: Heartbreaking but Powerful!
As a young girl, Naomi has a life that none of us would like to experience. Her mother is a drug addict who often “lends” Naomi to her dealers to supply her habit. Even if you are not a child of abuse and/or neglect, the young girl’s pain can be understood as Nakia Laushaul’s writing technique pulls you in and forces you to feel as in your Naomi’s shoes. As an adult, Naomi’s demons still seem to haunt h...more
Author: Nakia Laushaul
Rating: 5
Headline: Heartbreaking but Powerful!
As a young girl, Naomi has a life that none of us would like to experience. Her mother is a drug addict who often “lends” Naomi to her dealers to supply her habit. Even if you are not a child of abuse and/or neglect, the young girl’s pain can be understood as Nakia Laushaul’s writing technique pulls you in and forces you to feel as in your Naomi’s shoes. As an adult, Naomi’s demons still seem to haunt h...more
At first glance, the title of this expertly written novel, catches the readers attention. Not just because of the intriguing photo on the cover but because it compels the reader to ask the question, how can one actually run from solace.
To say that Running from Solace took me on an emotional roller coaster would be an understatement. It was more of the journey of an earthquake with several aftershocks. From the first chapter, I was drawn in by the horrid childhood of a sweet little girl named Na...more
To say that Running from Solace took me on an emotional roller coaster would be an understatement. It was more of the journey of an earthquake with several aftershocks. From the first chapter, I was drawn in by the horrid childhood of a sweet little girl named Na...more
Everybody Hurts
“Running from Solace” tells the story of Naomi, a woman who has dealt with mental, emotional, and physical abuse by her close relatives at an early age. Having survived time through the foster care system, Naomi is now married and working for Child Protective Services. When she is assigned to investigate a new case of child abuse allegations, she is forced to face the skeletons that are lingering in her closet. What makes Naomi feel so connected to this case? Will Naomi be able to...more
“Running from Solace” tells the story of Naomi, a woman who has dealt with mental, emotional, and physical abuse by her close relatives at an early age. Having survived time through the foster care system, Naomi is now married and working for Child Protective Services. When she is assigned to investigate a new case of child abuse allegations, she is forced to face the skeletons that are lingering in her closet. What makes Naomi feel so connected to this case? Will Naomi be able to...more
Naomi became a social worker and sought work with Child Protective Services determined to help children who, like herself, are victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of a parent. Through the intervention of an observant neighbor, Naomi had been removed from her home as a child and hasn't seen her mother in years but she is haunted by the memories of the things she endured.
Mona, too, was abused as a child. Regular beatings, threats, and constant neglect were all she knew. A...more
Mona, too, was abused as a child. Regular beatings, threats, and constant neglect were all she knew. A...more
Hurting People Hurt Others
Abused, misused, and mistreated…welcome to the young world of six-year-old Naomi. The daughter of an abusive addict, life was anything but easy for Naomi.
Fast forward several years and life is still not easy for Naomi. Sure, things have gotten better. Naomi is a college graduate married to a wonderful man working for Child Protective Services. She appears to have it all together, but she is still very haunted by her past. Her invisible scars ache. When she meets Xavie...more
Abused, misused, and mistreated…welcome to the young world of six-year-old Naomi. The daughter of an abusive addict, life was anything but easy for Naomi.
Fast forward several years and life is still not easy for Naomi. Sure, things have gotten better. Naomi is a college graduate married to a wonderful man working for Child Protective Services. She appears to have it all together, but she is still very haunted by her past. Her invisible scars ache. When she meets Xavie...more
This author writes a story and gives a voice for far too many victims of abuse. There are times when I had to put the book down because the story had me in tears. This is an excellent read. I
highly reccommend this book.
highly reccommend this book.
In her debut novel, Nakia gave voice to the many people who silently live through childhood abuse. She does this very sincerely and genuinely. Nakia R. Laushaul bravely takes on subject matter that is difficult. She is straight-forward and real in her writing.
From the beginning, you are drawn into the tormented life of little Naomi. Wanting love and acceptance, what she receives is abuse and pain. That Naomi survives is the ultimate reward for the reader, as well as for Naomi herself. One can ne...more
From the beginning, you are drawn into the tormented life of little Naomi. Wanting love and acceptance, what she receives is abuse and pain. That Naomi survives is the ultimate reward for the reader, as well as for Naomi herself. One can ne...more
Without giving away the story it is about the cycle of child abuse. It gives you insight into the abuser and those abused, and how the cycle perpetuates even when one works hard to be different from what they hate.
It is a really good book, a page turner, and I definitely recommend it for many reasons. One for the story and writing itself, but also for the insight. It will help you look at abusers a little differently, because most often they too were abused and it is all they know.
I am not sure...more
It is a really good book, a page turner, and I definitely recommend it for many reasons. One for the story and writing itself, but also for the insight. It will help you look at abusers a little differently, because most often they too were abused and it is all they know.
I am not sure...more
Definitely a very disturbing read - child abuse at its worst. I was engaged (albeit horrified) through the first half of the book but then the overbearing religious references paired with the main character Naomi's weird and absent husband, I started to lose interest. Naomi has a well-deserved breakdown about midway through the book that was never addressed by her husband, while he was off with church people and then taking calls from women in the middle of the night. The ending had potential as...more
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There are only a few books that leave an ever lasting impression on me, and this is one of them. I bought this book and it took me a while to actually read it, once I did though, I was hooked. Not going to lie, I did have a suspicion when the main case got introduced that it was somehow going to be related to Naomi and her upbringing but the ending really took me for a trip with how it all cumulated under the tree and how justice was eventually served.
All in all, this was a very well written bo...more
All in all, this was a very well written bo...more
A great page turner about the cycle of child abuse within a family. The character created strong feeling in me and I was physically repulsed by Uncle C and Naomi's mother, Nola. In the beginning Naomi was getting on my nerves because I couldn't understand why the character had such difficulty telling her husband about her past when he was such a good, loving and understanding man. With her experience and education I thought it was far fetched that she wouldn't have told him. The end wasn't a com...more
In all honesty, this was a tough read. Generational abuse, the shortcomings of the foster system contrasted against the necessity and benefit of such a system, vicious cycles of violence and so much more. It is a painful story. But it was grasping and continually held me attentive, wanting to know more about the inner workings of Mona, her son (and children) and the CPS staff woman who unknowingly became wrapped up in a case which would reveal painful truths from her own past, requiring her to c...more
The book was a fantastic read! Hard to put down!
Nov 10, 2011
Jerri
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
My reading buddies
Recommended to Jerri by:
Darlene
Running from Solace was an excellent read. I found myself engrossed in the story from the minute I began reading it. The book deals with child abuse and its lifelong ramifications to abusers and victims alike. My only complaint is that the author seemed to rush the conclusion of the book, neglecting to explore some relationships and the characters' personal healing journeys, choosing instead to tie neat and predictable ribbons in order to close the story out. Still, I will be recommending this b...more
I applaud the author 4 such a gripping and mos def engaging heart shattering story. This was such a domino affect 4rm one generation of sexual, mental, and physical abuse 2 another.....so many innocent lives taken under hostage of this, souls tormented, stolen and torn. I felt that moment when Naomi had her release 4rm yrs of pain trapped within herself, scared and wanting 2b free of it.... when she let go and let GOD, this was a 5 Star read....it's so sad that there are lives that suffer this d...more
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The book is divided into three parts, the past the present and the future. This novel deals with a lot of issues that everyone may not be able to handle. It deals head on with phyiscal, mental, and emotional abuse of both children and adults. The book opens up as we follow Naomi talking to her therapist reliving her early childhood memories. The memories that Naomi shares are really sad. There are many chldren who sadly who were raised just like Naomi. The things that this child had to deal with...more
From page one of Running from Solace, the reader is slam dunked into Naomi’ life as a child. Every heartbreaking fist to body contact, every tear piece of clothing and heartbreak Naomi suffered at the hands of the one who was supposed to love and protect her.
As an adult Naomi’ only worry is her demons, the demons that keep her from getting close to her husband, the monster who tells her the scares on her body matter and they make her ugly. Her failing marriage topped with her demons has her wal...more
As an adult Naomi’ only worry is her demons, the demons that keep her from getting close to her husband, the monster who tells her the scares on her body matter and they make her ugly. Her failing marriage topped with her demons has her wal...more
I won a copy of this book in a goodreads.com first-reads giveaway.
3.5 stars rounded up to four stars because it’s Christmas =]
I had mixed feelings about this book all the way through. At some points I was loving the book and at others, well… not so much love.
Now, I do believe in God and I have no problem with religion being part of a book, but in this book the ‘God stuff’ (for lack of a better term) just seemed thrown in there and in my opinion didn’t really contribute to the book at all. At a...more
3.5 stars rounded up to four stars because it’s Christmas =]
I had mixed feelings about this book all the way through. At some points I was loving the book and at others, well… not so much love.
Now, I do believe in God and I have no problem with religion being part of a book, but in this book the ‘God stuff’ (for lack of a better term) just seemed thrown in there and in my opinion didn’t really contribute to the book at all. At a...more
Running From Solace evokes many different emotions from the first chapter, which allow readers to get emotionally invested in the characters from the beginning. I felt that Naomi and Xavier were very well written and to me really kept my interest throughout the book. I thought the dialog between some of characters was sometimes raw but very appropriate for the subject matter that the novel dealt with. I absolutely loved the way that Pastor Paul and Jake were written into the story by Ms. Laushau...more
Family ties that bind...
Naomi, Mona and Lenora are three women living different lives. Naomi, a young wife is afraid of her own shadow. She is tormented by demons from her past. This torment is causing strain in her marriage because she is unable to fully open up to her husband Jake. Mona is a young single mother who loves her children but doesn't know how to show it. Instead of hugs and kisses, she smothers them with bruises and verbal abuse. Lenora is on her way to becoming an associate pastor...more
What an incredible story!! The author deals with a difficult subject with great understanding and compassion, fleshing out the characters so completely that you feel like you know them. And the redemption scene is so descriptive and full of emotion that it had me in tears. I could literally feel Naomi's deeply-rooted pain, fear and subsequent deliverance because it's written as if from a firsthand experience with feeling and hearing God for the first time. It's a wonderful and beautifully writte...more
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like
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Is child abuse a generational curse? Do hurt people really hurt people? This is a book that makes you really look at child abuse and view it from a different perspective. Naomi was abused as a child. Thanks to a "nosey" neighbor, she was removed from her mother's care and raised in the foster care system. As an adult, she worked as a social worker. She was called out to a case. Upon talking with the young boy, Xavier, she felt an immediate connection to him. The events following this case brough...more
I really enjoyed reading this book this author style of writing captures your attention from the very beginning. I felt like I was there I could feel the emotions from the characters I've cried, and I even smiled a little bit, at times i was angry and felt like i could do something. I felt every characters emotions coming out of this book This was an excellent book and I would re read it all over again.
This book was very sad, but excellently written and the message at the end was one of hope and promise which I thought was good. The characters were all very likeable (except for Nola and Uncle C) and even Mona had redeeming qualities which showed through near the end of the novel. The subject matter is a hard one to read about but aside from this it was an excellent novel!
Pretty intense read, and well written. I liked the way Laushaul developed the characters, though would have been interested in getting to know Jake or Paul the way the women were produced. This isn't my favorite genre in the world, but when I finish a book in less then 24 hours on a work-day, it deserves a good rating.:)
90% of this was really, really well done. The other 10% was a bit preachy, over-the-top religious experience-y for my taste. Overall, though, one of the best of the free Kindle books I've read. Laushaul is a talented writer and must've actually had an editor and/or proofreader, unlike many others.
This book blew my mind from the first chapter to the last. It took me on an array of emotions that I haven't felt in a while. I highly recommend this book as it touches on subjects that many choose to sweep under the carpet. If I could give this book 6 stars I would...AWESOME read!
Absolutely a great novel. This is a book that the readers can and will feel, hitting on a topic that is often unspoken of in our communities but remains a very real issue. Nakia presents characters that are so real that you would swear you actually know them. "Running from Solace" will defintely be on my list of gifts to give.
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“Love is something you must accept in order to have, Naomi.”
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