Excerpt:
Shara stepped to the microphone and said “Good
evening ladies and gentlemen. Attitudes must change if this problem is going to
be solved. I went to Washington
the second that I heard Beatrice had been raped. The firm had a limo for Elaine
and Beatrice so that Elaine could be as independent as possible. When I got to Washington, the rape and
the act that a “community leader” was accused of rape was a major story. The
limo driver just knew that the lady was a hooker, and he was mad. Again, it was
the victim’s fault. This driver did not have the facts. Why didn’t I set him
straight? Well. I thought I had to protect Beatrice’s privacy right?”
“Right,” the crowd answers slowly.
“NO, WRONG, ladies and gentlemen. This is what
we are talking about; wrong becauseRAPE IS A CRIME! When it comes to sexual harassment
or anything about sexual dysfunction, we don’t listen, we don’t tell. It is
personal, private. NO! It is a crime and everybody needs
to tell the world. Beatrice was not the first female that the man raped not
even close to the first.”
“Each case of rape is different. In Beatrice’s
case, this man was chasing her all the time that she was in Washington. Am I blaming her? To a degree,
yes.”
“The audience seemed repulsed; “People. Please
understand that what is being said here tonight is known by all people in the
firm, especially top team members. I am not saying this to hurt my colleague.
This is to make you see and understand what we are saying. The man who raped
her stalked her all week. The women who saw the “bad” side of him kept quiet.
That enabled him to cause more pain. He used that silence, and his list of
victims got longer and longer. The women kept silent because they did not want
to face the attitude that we as a society give them; oh, it was nothing. It was
something when Mr. Paige touched my colleague inappropriately the second they
were alone. She did not want him. We must allow women to say what they do and
do not want men to do to their bodies. We must change the attitude about sexual
problems, and we must listen when a woman is trying to get a man to stop.
When a woman says a man is bothering her, we must hear and make sure the man
understands that he must stop.”
General Fiction
Title: Ungolden Silence
Author: Lydia Brew
Date Published: 2008
Synopsis:
Ungolden
Silence will explore the world of rape and expose the myths through
articles that are based on facts. The main question that needs to be
answered is why one human being would rape another human being. These
reasons are explored in a compelling story that will make the reader ask
questions. Beatrice James wanted to take her co-worker Elaine on her
first professional trip, she had to convince her employers and Elaine’s
parents that she wanted to take Elaine on the trip. Elaine was in charge
of the campaign.
Thomas
Paige is a well-respected community leader, however, there is whole
other side of side of him. The man can be charming when he needs to be
and that is why he can get away with sexually harassing and raping
women. He began to harassed Beatrice did not want Elaine to have to deal
with it. Beatrice did not want to deal with the fact that she was being
sexually harassed.
When
any crime takes place, the families of the victims as well as the
criminal are involved. Ungolden Silence will illustrate that the
criminal is a real person, and rarely does he commit crimes just for the
fun of it.
It
is important to know that rape is a part of violence. Through the
characters of Ungolden Silence it is hoped that society will begin to
find a way to eliminate the acceptance of violence, which includes the
act of rape.
It
is through Beatrice, Elaine, and their colleagues that Ungolden Silence
begins to explore the world of rape. Each of the main characters
discovers what he has believed about rape and violence is not entirely
true. A good example of this is when the firm’s secretary is told what
happened on the trip. She discovered that some things that she was told
when she was young was a myth.
Through
all of the characters, Ungolden Silence offers an alternative to the
everyday acceptance of violence. When it comes to rape, it tells us that
the rapists are human beings and there is a way to curb the crime.
What
does the author wants the reader to take away is that the story is
about a woman was rape while she and her business partner was away on a
business trip. Her business partner is disabled but that is an important
part of the story. However, it is not the main story.
My Review:
Wow. I just finished reading Ungolden Silence. Usually I take a day or two to mull a book over before I try to write my review. But this book by Lydia Brew was so compelling, I felt the need to share my thoughts immediately, while they were fresh and burning in my soul. When first invited to participate in this book tour, we were told the book was a different genre than had been offered before. When I found out it was about rape and the exploration of myths, history, and other related abuses in our world, I though oh boy, this will be a dull read. It was anything but!!
You can read the synopsis above regarding the storyline and the certain characters involved. Ms Brew writes in a very simple style and her characters are very believable and well crafted individuals and like all of us, carry a phenomenal amount of baggage...some of which is buried baggage. As the story developed, I was amazed by the number of people that were affected by the physical rape of one woman and the unlocking of secrets that resulted from that same rape.
This book was definitely enlightening, powerful, painful and emotional. My emotions were totally invested, probably because the subject of rape is so frightening. Yes, I cried. There is so much to think about in the aftermath of a rape and so much we as women need to be educated about. I definitely want my kids and grand kids to read this and I want the families to talk about it. If we can learn to discuss this type of material, I think we would all be better for it
I rated this book 5 out of 5 winks Specifically due to the sensitivity of the subject material.
Thank you Ms Brew! I will be thinking about your book for a long time to come.
Virtual Book Tour August 15 - August 28
 Lydia Brew
Author Bio:
Lydia E. Brew was born with cerebral palsy but has not allowed her
physical limitations to stand in her way. Her writing also provides
insights into the world of the physically challenged. She graduated from
Texas Southern University where she received The Society of
Professional Journalist Sigma Chi Citation for Achievement. She was a
member of the drama club and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Under the leadership of one of her journalism professors, Miss Brew
penned her first book Edith, The Story of Edith Irby Jones, M.D. about
the first African-American to graduate from The Arkansas School of
Medicine. Upon finishing college, Miss Brew worked with the Houston
Association of Black Journalists. She is a Christian and attends St.
Timothy’s United Methodist Church.
Miss Brew
founded Lydia’s Educational and Charitable Organization (LECO) when she
decided to encourage young people to write. LECO did this by sponsoring
a yearly contest in which the contestant had to write about positive
role models who were alive and from the Houston area. Each student who
wrote an eligible essay was given a certificate of participation.
Winning writers received cash prizes.
Her second book
Our Learn Together Book is based on the biography of Dr. Jones. It tells
her story in a simplified format on one page and allows the child to
writes his biography on the other. There are activities in the back
where children can learn developmental skills and older children can
learn to do research.
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Disclosure
of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a
copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have
been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in
exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with
those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This
disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part
255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*
General Fiction
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