My thanks to Jane B. - Brookfield Central High School - class of '63 who looked me up on our reunion website and decided to read my book. Jane, You made my day.
I finished reading The Women of Block 12 a while ago, and haven’t stopped thinking or sharing its content with others. The book was so powerful that I found the message disturbing because it conveyed reality—the women were victimized and so wrongly shaped as children. Added to the book’s intensity it is told through your personal and intimate experiences of which evoked authority. I had to set the book aside at times because it ignited so much emotion. It must have been a difficult task for you—performing emotional ministry and then reliving the women’s stories while writing the book. Congratulations to you again!
I finished reading The Women of Block 12 a while ago, and haven’t stopped thinking or sharing its content with others. The book was so powerful that I found the message disturbing because it conveyed reality—the women were victimized and so wrongly shaped as children. Added to the book’s intensity it is told through your personal and intimate experiences of which evoked authority. I had to set the book aside at times because it ignited so much emotion. It must have been a difficult task for you—performing emotional ministry and then reliving the women’s stories while writing the book. Congratulations to you again!
You are a talented writer and an inspirational leader. The first part of your book, explaining the circumstances/backgrounds of women in prison and how you became involved in jail ministry was enlightening. Although the subject matter was grave, you managed to intertwine humor that exemplified your genuine humility and tremendous compassion. I was impressed and enjoyed your writing style. When will your next book be published? Truly, you are on a roll.
The book’s second part giving individual accounts was so sobering. The contents of the letters were authentic, being from your journals. That credibility intensified the depiction of victimized women. Interestingly to me, the women never (my interpretation) blamed others, instead tried to rise above their circumstances forgetting they were helpless children during years which should have been a loving, understanding, and caring period.
On a side note, living a few miles from Orlando, I was bombarded with Casey Anthony media. Yes she was perhaps a poor mother, and yes lacked good judgment, but I cannot stop relating her developmental life to The Women in Block 12 . All humans are born innocent beings and through their growing years are influenced, shaped by parents and circumstances. Your book influenced me to look beyond media portrayal and try to understand the influence of Casey Anthony’s young life in her dysfunctional family. What a distressing heartbreaking happening for her, her lost child, her parents, and so many others. Please accept my side note as a complement to you; your book has a life of its own, spilling over and impacting my thoughts, trying to understand her rash behavior.
My next emails are to my close BCHS friends with information and encouragement to read Women of Block 12. Your book is a powerful writing.
Take care, and keep me posted regarding your next book. I am truly a fan.
Jane B.
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