Stemming the Harm

By Jo'anne Brancato

Stemming the Harm is a work of adult fiction, a novel about the development of souls, the pains of growth, the place of compassion, and the love of self for the love of others. This story will read like a movie in your mind. A realistic tale, Stemming the Harm places Alice at the center of five generations, trying to heal the injuries of the past, the injustices of earlier generations, the brutality of modern-day materialism, and the despair of the young. The experiences are presented as a novel about the development of a soul at a point in history when many traditions and paradigms have been exploded and lost. The settings are simple, sometimes rustic, but the characters are modern and psychologically complex. They represent their times but often defy explanation. They scratch for individuality during periods when conformity is the norm; yet they long for the peace and security of family and community. They seek, but often do not find. When you leave this story, you will feel like you know the characters! Perhaps, you already do. Stemming the Harm begins with a post-World War II family and moves to the present with Alice, a baby-boomer, as its catalyst. As a narrator, she is intelligent and perceptive; as a character, she becomes a modern woman when circumstances and ethical dilemmas force themselves upon her. In Alices young world, a good girl would achieve success by marrying a good man, at an early age. As she grew, Alices world changed, and good girls went to school and achieved academic success so that they could gain financial security, or even wealth, possibly on their own. Alice enjoyed musical and athletic talent and even notoriety in certain circles, but in Alices inner circles, she met sneering, mocking, or indifference. Its a waste of your time. Do something. Alice came to believe that achievement, dignity, and personal fulfillment were dreams that she could realize. Coping, but only barely, and without the affirmation or affection of her family, Alice became determined to turn her weaknesses into strengths. Taking her own educationvery seriously, for its own sake, Alice soared through college and graduate school, becoming a teacher of great repute. She married and had three children. After her marriage ended, she again found herself questioning her actions, wondering at her motives, and doubting her effectiveness. Addictions, disorders, existential loneliness, and trauma entered into Alices life. This is too much turmoil for one lifetime, she thought to herself, fearing that no one else could know her struggle or see her vulnerability. Through a series of fruitful, rewarding, and pleasurable experiencesprofessional and personalAlice began a journey of healing, a providential movement in her life that led her to realize that all that had gone on was a part of the blueprint of her story that would end in triumph. Alices view of the world, and of her own place in it, was transformed. Not a victim! A leader. Not confused! Enlightened. Not isolated! Involved. Not stupid! A teacher. Not rejected! Loved.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1432780557
• ISBN13: 9781432780555
• Release Date: November 2011
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"