Center of the Storm

Back Cover Blurb

Facing the things you run from can either release you, or snap the fragile tether that keeps you grounded in the center of the storm.

Abandonment, neglect, drugs and a little blood letting. Dodge Landry and his fifteen-year-old son, Chris have a lot in common. But while Dodge only narrowly survived his childhood, Chris may not.

Navigating the murky waters of the foster care system in the mid-1970’s, Dodge hits the mother lode when he is sent to live with Kate Landry on her small Pennsylvania horse farm. Through her functionally dysfunctional family, and with the help of an abused mess of a horse named Storm, Kate shows Dodge no one needs to be perfect to be worthy of love. It is a lesson Dodge desperately wants to share with Chris. The problem is, Chris isn’t interested in listening and Dodge fears his adopted son is headed down the same road Dodge once walked.

Center of the Storm

Excerpt

Social services dropped me off in the drive with my bag of meager belongings slung over one shoulder and my "I don't give a damn" look on my face. I ignored the conversation between Kate and my social worker - I'd heard it all before - and wandered over to the paddock located just off the drive. A lone horse stood there, his disinterested eyes cast downwards, looking at nothing. He was skinny, so much so that every bone in his body seemed to jut through his dusty hide. I dropped my bag on the grass and squatted down next to the fence. When I put my hand out and tried to get the pitiful thing's attention, a big brown dog of questionable parentage walked up to me, gave me a half-interested sniff, and then sat down as if to say, "I'm watching you pal, so be careful."

"I'm just looking," I told the dog. He lay down with his muzzle on his paws, but his eyes never left me. I turned my attention back to the horse and gave it a little kiss like they do on TV, but he never even turned in my direction. The dog, however, took the sound as an invitation. He nosed under my arm, demanding my attention, and gave me no choice in the matter. He almost made me lose my balance before I managed to come up on one knee.

I pushed his head away. "I was talking to the horse, dumb dog." He didn't seem to care. He slobbered on my best pair of jeans and smiled at me as I made a face. So absorbed with getting the horse's attention and trying to keep from drowning in dog drool, I never heard the social worker leave or Kate come up behind me.

"His name is Charlie." She pointed at the dog. "And his name..." she looked at the horse, "Is Storm."

Center of the Storm

Reviews

This story flashes from Dodge as a teenager and as an adult. It is superbly written, allowing you to easily follow the story line. Ann Simko writes about the sensitive subjects of abuse, cutting and suicide. With humorous scenes well placed to lighten it, she writes a moving tale of healing, hope and love. Rarely have I felt so many emotions from a book. I laughed, I cringed in dread, and in several places I cried.

I received this as an ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review. I want to purchase it as a paperback because I want to feel the cover soften from being read so many times. I gave this book 5 stars only because I could not give it more!

Laura Thomas - GoodReads review    Read the entire review here.

It's lovely seeing an idea come to an end. I've read Ann's story several times as she struggled to find the story within her head that she needed to get on paper. And in the end, she has a good solid book on a teen dealing with finding acceptance in the world without resorting to the cutting and running away that he was used to.

Children in the foster system struggle to believe when things go right in their world. And this book shows Dodge's struggle to accept that the Landry's actually care and love him for who he is. This is a struggle that grownups frequently ignore in the world of foster care. If you're a kid, and you're placed in a good home, it should just work. But as Ann shows, it isn't that simple.

The little time I spent helping Ann find her story has been more than repaid.

Jim Clark-Dawe - Amazon review