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Debra Shiveley Welch
Category:
Native American
Publisher: Red Road Books/Saga Books
ISBN-10: 1897512767
Type: Fiction
Pages: 214
Copyright: Dec 1. 2-1
ISBN-13: 9781897512760
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
"Spirit Woman" builds off of my past and includes the true stories of three other women who suffered from domestic abuse. Wrapped into one, heart-rending story, "Spirit Woman" tells the tale of Nickie Bahiti (buy-a-tie - ghost or spirit) Greene. Desperate for love, she grabs it when she can and finds herself in a living hell. Note: Parental Guidance
Reviewed by Ankita Shukla for Readers' Favorite
Spirit Woman by Debra Shiveley Welch is a magnificent combination of fiction and reality. Nickie, tormented by her troubled childhood, shuts herself down to her surroundings. She does not share the details of her past with anyone. Her low self-esteem forces her to believe that there is no hope for her to find love, and so she has almost given up her quest for true love until she meets Javan Whitman. With him, her fears and doubts vanish into thin air, and -- in spite of her well wishers' warnings -- she ties the knot as soon as he proposes. However, right from the next day of her wedding, she realizes that she has married a demon, and thus begins her marital journey filled with violence and hatred.
The portrayal of the characters is done on an emotional level by sharing their stories. In any book, as a reader, I find it the best way of making an instant connection with the characters. The narrative style of writing does justice to the overall plot of the book. The introduction of a guardian angel was a pleasant and welcome surprise. Some readers may find it bizarre, but being a hopeless believer in extraordinary existences, I found it intriguing.
In Spirit Woman, Debra has touched on many social issues. In her sneaky way, she advises everyone not to jump into a relationship. Love is blind, but you don't have to be. Living alone may be depressing, but living with a monster would be life threatening. She has also highlighted the lifelong lack of self-esteem in people who have had a less than happy childhood. The story is packed with dramatic twists, which are capable of keeping readers' eyes fixed on the pages. I would recommend this book to readers who feel very strongly about the prevailing injustices against women and who believe in the existence of angels -- or, at least, enjoy reading about them.
Excerpt
Erica left to put in the order and Nickie turned her gaze. Her eyes met with a pair of sapphire beacons, staring straight into her own fathomless brown eyes.
She gave a shudder and her body began to tingle. Looking down, she stared at her hands, now clenched in her lap. Her breathing became shallow, her stomach clenched, and her senses heightened.
She heard the sound of boots come near, the scratch of a chair as it was pulled out, and the jiggle of the table as someone sat down.
“Do you have any idea of how beautiful you are?” a deep, resonant voice inquired. Nickie’s head jerked up, her breath caught, and she sat there, unable to answer.
The stranger leaned in, his eyes roving over her face, and repeated: “Do you have any idea of how beautiful you are?”
Nickie was stunned, shaken, afraid, intrigued.
“Uh, no, I guess.”
He leaned in, gazing deeply into her eyes.
“Hi, I’m Javan Whitman. My friends call me Jay.”
“Javan?”
“Well, yeah. My father is a preacher and he and my mother just love those old, biblical names.”
He smiled, showing even, white teeth.
“I’d like to get to know you.”
“Um, well, can you tell me about yourself first?”
Nickie was intrigued. He was extraordinarily attractive with deep, glossy black hair, and was extremely charismatic. His sapphire eyes were distracting and seemed to glow, as if a hypnotist were trying to take over her will.
“Not much to tell. I’m from Texas, I’m here now, and I’ve met you.”
“But, what do you do?”
“I roam the world in search of beauty, and I’ve found it here, now in…what is this place called? Cedar Woman’s? I’m much more interested in you, Beauty. Tell me about yourself.”
Nickie told him the pat story she usually gave…born and raised in the South End with a brother and a sister. She glossed over her lonely childhood by dwelling on the love she had for her siblings, telling stories of their childhood together, leaving out the bad and including only the good. His eyes bore into her, as if reading her thoughts, as if he could creep into her soul and find her secrets.
They talked until Nickie announced that she had to go home. He offered to drive her, but she declined.
“Don’t worry, Beauty. I’ll see you again,” was his parting comment.
She walked slowly, as she usually did. Strolling home, her musings turned to Jay. She was confused, afraid, and enthralled all at once. No one had ever reacted to her as Jay had done that night. I wonder if he is for real, or was he just playing with me? Some people do that – like they were a cat in another life and haven’t gotten over playing with any mouse or bird that comes along. He was attractive, and yes, romantic, “If you like them tall, dark and handsome,” she snorted to herself, but it just seemed too good to be true.
As was her habit, she looked into the windows of the houses she passed. She had done so since a little girl: peering into the lighted rooms of other families, wondering if they were the kind of family she so longed for. Were they happy? Was everyone behind the panes of glass loved?
Nickie thought about the interesting encounters of the evening. Leslie seemed to be a very nice person, one whom she may want to get to know, even though her poem threw Nickie into a dark place for a while – and Jay. She couldn’t quite place her feelings for Jay. He was attractive with his black hair and jeweled, blue eyes. When he stood as she got up to leave, he towered over her, and she judged his height to be at least six-three. He seemed to be very nice and extremely interested in her, but she was afraid. He was most definitely one whom she could fall in love with. What if he could not love her? What if he became so important to her, that living without him would be unendurable and he found someone else, someone…better?
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