The Elevator Group Category:  Mainstream Publisher: The Elevator Group ISBN-10:  0978685415 Type: Fiction Pages: 200 Copyright: January 2009 ISBN-13: 9780978685416 Carolyn James, a mother of two pre-teen children, keeps a journal to help her navigate the land mines of separation and divorce when her husband, a doctor, leaves her for his yoga instructor. Through her journal, the reader sees how Carolyn rebuilds her life through self-help, self-reflection, and the grace of God. Carolyn James’ life looked great—new job teaching writing at a law school, 11 year marriage to a doctor, mother of a preteen son and daughter, living in a McMansion in suburban Boston. But she is thrown onto the mine fields of separation and divorce when her husband leaves her for his yoga instructor, taking most of their money, stability, and what’s left of her self-esteem. Always a writer, for the next three years, Carolyn keeps a “divorce journal” to cope and rebuild.   From optimism to fear, and humor to sadness, Carolyn writes about her experiences with separation, divorce and, eventually, dating again. Come inside her journal as she turns to self-reflection, self-help books, and the grace of God to navigate the ever-exploding land mines and get herself and her children safely through to the other side.   Ushering in a new genre called "therapeutic fiction", the novel includes questions that readers can use to help them write their way through their own land mines.

Library Journal
Presented as a series of engrossing journal entries, this is the story of Carolyn James, a wife and mother whose husband leaves her for another woman. Carolyn’s raw, honest entries chronicle her experiences in dealing with the loss of her marriage and the stable life she had known before. Sentences like “I’m carrying two children in my arms, and my arms ache with the effort of keeping them above water. I, on the other hand, am sinking” will ring true for anyone who has ever been in similar circumstances. The protagonist’s struggles and reliance on God will appeal to most female readers and those who have had to reinvent themselves after life-altering situations. Recommended for women’s fiction and African American fiction collections. Vance’s first novel, Chasing the 400, was the first selection of the African American Museum of Philadelphia Book Club."



TCM.Reviews (TCM.com)
Land Mines by Sheilah Vance is a book of therapeutic fiction. Written in journal format it provides the reader a realistic look at divorce and the unexpected encounters (land mines) that can and often times do occur. Land Mines is the journal of Carolyn James.

A few years ago she was a practicing attorney married to a doctor, Tom. Then suddenly her husband leaves her for his much younger yoga instructor and turns Carolyn's world upside down. Left alone to raise their two young children, nine year old son David and eleven year old daughter Angela, Carolyn begins keeping a journal to save her sanity. Recording her thoughts helps her to keep her head above water and puts her on a path of self-discovery. Saying affirmations to herself daily, Carolyn works to remove the land mines in her life. She is determined to reclaim the pieces of herself that she had given away throughout her eleven years of a bad marriage that has left her unsettled.

Land Mines shows us how therapeutic it is to journal through personal life challenges. It is a way of unscrambling the jumble of overwhelming thoughts swarming around inside of our head. Writing down our thoughts may help us to make more sense of them and putting them down on paper gets them out of our head - at least for a little while. Sheilah Vance also gives a list of seventy seven prompts at the end of the book to get us started on our way to journaling.


Armchair Interviews.com
Any woman who has experienced the pain of separation and divorce or those who are now experiencing the pain first-hand will discover that they’re not alone in their feelings.

This book is unique in that it is written in a “divorce journal” format by the fictional character Carolyn James. A successful woman in her own right, she teaches writing at a near-by law school and is a wonderful mom to two children. However, Carolyn has difficulty wrapping her head around the fact that her doctor husband, Tom, has destroyed their marriage through his infidelity with his Yoga instructor. He leaves Carolyn to face not only the emotional reckoning of a failed marriage, but the day-to-day challenges of raising the kids, dealing with the financial realities of a single income, managing a household, and career.

Carolyn notes in her “divorce journal” that she is ashamed of her status and is unwilling to share her life with her colleagues and “alleged friends.”

The raw emotional feelings, the sense of being out of balance, and the fear of the unknown trouble Carolyn daily, if not by the minute or hour. She does discover, eventually, that she is able to cope and move forward by putting her faith in God.

Through her travels, trials and tribulations, Carolyn discovers more about herself, her relationships with her children, friends and family, and her faith than she would have without navigating through the separation, divorce and dating experiences.

For woman struggling with separation and/or divorce, this book is a breath of fresh air.

The author has thankfully prepared a reader’s guide “for readers who are going through.” In addition, she has listed over seventy-five prompts to help you begin your journaling success.

Several of the prompts are:

When I realized my marriage was ending…
When I found a lawyer…
When I had to sell my house…
My self-esteem…
It’s not fair…

Carolyn is able to write in her “divorce journal” about her feelings, and experiences; this proves to be therapeutic and liberating. It may be for you, too.

Armchair Interviews says: Many women will find this book comforting.