Spilled Milk by K.L. Randis *Trigger Warning Book*

[Maple]

Trigger Warning: Violence, Sexual Assault, Battered Children

Based on a true story, Brooke Nolan is a battered child who makes an anonymous phone call about the escalating brutality in her home. When social services jeopardize her safety condemning her to keep her father’s secret, it’s a glass of spilled milk at the dinner table that forces her to speak about the cruelty she’s been hiding. In her pursuit for safety and justice Brooke battles a broken system that pushes to keep her father in the home. When jury members and a love interest congregate to inspire her to fight, she risks losing the support of family and comes to the realization that some people simply do not want to be saved.


I started reading this one last night. I think I have a found a dark rabbit hole that will be a difficult journey to go down. A part of me knows wants to turn back now and not read the rest of these dark and twisted events, but I want to know what happens to Brooke and her three siblings. I'm about a quarter of the way through this so far, but it's proving to be a tough read, both for the content and also for the editing of the book.

Based on what I've read so far, I recommend the book, but be warned it is pretty grim and heart wrenching.

[Ashley]

Wow. Sounds like a very difficult life to have lived and a very emotional read.

[Maple]

I finished this one last night. The writing and editing of the book was very rough (it was self-published), but I believe those things are overshadowed by the gravity of the story. This gave me nightmares; that doesn't happen often. It was a very real book on terms of being able to empathize with Brooke's suffering, both while her abuse was happening and as she struggled through finally talking about her abuse and the subsequent legal battles over it.

[Jenna]

Manda, I applaud you for taking on such an emotionally challenging book! I'm a social worker with an agency that supports survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other trauma. Most of our clients are women with children. I chose to work for a private nonprofit, so I am not a government social worker who is tasked with making decisions or judgments about family unity and then using the power of the legal system to enforce them. Fortunately, in my work, instead of being coercive, we are able to try to empower the people we work with to make their own choices to achieve safety and stability for themselves and their children without sacrificing self determination. Of course, sometimes our families have gotten involved with "the system" as well. I've definitely seen some really fabulous and caring work done by staff members from agencies like Child Protective Services, but lord knows I've also seen some harrowing and sad cases in Juvenile and Domestic Relations court. And children are so often caught in the middle of those, and can be so traumatized no matter the outcome. I'm glad Brooke shared her own story, as I'm sure it was therapeutic to share her own perspective. Thanks for reading something like this, I always appreciate knowing that others care about such issues!