When Joan entered adolescence, she decided to escape the reality of painful events, by pretending to be invisible or "clear skinned." Then while a freshman in college, she meets Majad, who tries to come into her world. Over a period of one year, he writes her letters and poems, and goes to great lengths to express his love. Joan responds to Majad with letters disbelieving his romantic expressions. She also writes letters in her journal revealing confusion and distrust of his feelings.

The EXPRESS YOURSELF section encourages others to write short notes or letters of praise to a family member, a friend, or a co-worker. Don't worry about grammatical errors, or misspelled words. Just getting your thoughts on paper is a positive beginning. And even if that person never receives your compliments, the message will always be alive in spirit.

The emotional dynamics of dysfunctional romantic relationships...read more