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Emily: Out of My Mother's Darkness
Join Emily as she opens a forbidden cedar chest, unlocks a Chinese box and discovers dark secrets. Share in her struggle to climb out of her mother's darkness.
Emily, a work of autobiographical fiction, is a character driven story of a young girl's desperate search for her missing father. A memoir of the author's traumatic adolescent years. A time when a whirlpool of sadness pulled and tugged at her very existence. A time when darkness threatened light, extinguished hope and demanded courage.
Emily, a work of autobiographical fiction, is a character driven story of a young girl's desperate search for her missing father. A memoir of the author's traumatic adolescent years. A time when a whirlpool of sadness pulled and tugged at her very existence. A time when darkness threatened light, extinguished hope and demanded courage.
136 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 9, 2025
If you’ve ever read a book that feels less like a story and more like someone handing you their heart, Emily is that kind of book. Written as autobiographical fiction, it blurs the line between memoir and novel in a way that pulls you straight into the author’s adolescence.
At its core, this is a character-driven journey about a young girl’s desperate search for her missing father, but it’s also about so much more. It’s about what happens when grief and longing start to shape a childhood, when sadness becomes a constant undercurrent, and when the light of hope flickers but never quite goes out.
The writing is raw, unflinching, and at times heavy, but that heaviness is what makes the moments of courage shine even brighter. You don’t just follow Emily through her pain; you feel the whirlpool of sadness tugging at her, and you witness her resilience as she fights to stay afloat.
This isn’t an easy book, but it’s a necessary one. It’s for readers who appreciate stories that don’t just entertain, but move you, unsettle you, and remind you of the strength it takes to face darkness.
At its core, this is a character-driven journey about a young girl’s desperate search for her missing father, but it’s also about so much more. It’s about what happens when grief and longing start to shape a childhood, when sadness becomes a constant undercurrent, and when the light of hope flickers but never quite goes out.
The writing is raw, unflinching, and at times heavy, but that heaviness is what makes the moments of courage shine even brighter. You don’t just follow Emily through her pain; you feel the whirlpool of sadness tugging at her, and you witness her resilience as she fights to stay afloat.
This isn’t an easy book, but it’s a necessary one. It’s for readers who appreciate stories that don’t just entertain, but move you, unsettle you, and remind you of the strength it takes to face darkness.
May 3, 2022
Emily’s Journey
How many children are there like Emily? A child that needlessly suffers. A child too young and afraid to stand up for themselves. The author ( Janie Lancaster) brings a serious issue to light. This book is a great read for people of any age group. People who may be in this position or know someone like Emily. The book itself was an easy read, you wanted to keep turning pages in the hopes that Emily’s life would turn around soon. I found that with the addition of poetry and drawings you could more readily follow Emily’s transformation. A must read for anyone. Thank you Janie.
How many children are there like Emily? A child that needlessly suffers. A child too young and afraid to stand up for themselves. The author ( Janie Lancaster) brings a serious issue to light. This book is a great read for people of any age group. People who may be in this position or know someone like Emily. The book itself was an easy read, you wanted to keep turning pages in the hopes that Emily’s life would turn around soon. I found that with the addition of poetry and drawings you could more readily follow Emily’s transformation. A must read for anyone. Thank you Janie.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews