Gr. 10-12 Isabel was always Izzy until her stepdad insisted that she and her mother use their full first names, just another example of how he forces them to adhere to his rules and preferences. Soft words, teary pleas, and stolen touches interspersed with insults, criticism, and silence are his modus operandi for keeping Izzy and her mother in line. On top of this abusive homelife, one of Izzy’s classmates violates her while she’s drunk and threatens to expose compromising photos of her. When Izzy’s mum finally absconds with her daughter to the safety of a women’s shelter miles away, Izzy finds the physical and emotional strength to stand up to her abusers. [Read More]
When Loose Ends Meet 