Reader's Annotation: Ashley Asher has moved to Patience to escape her abusive stepfather and begin a new life.
Plot Summary: Ashley has finally disclosed the nightly sexual abuse by her stepfather and has been removed from the home. Her mother and grandparents have refused to believe her story instead choosing to believe her stepfather. Ashely is sent to live with her father, stepmother and stepbrother in Patience, Texas. She barely knows her father at all as he left when she was a baby. He is determined to make up for that last time and ensure that Ashley has a good life, that she recovers from the abuse suffered at the hands of her stepfather. Ashley begins going to a new school and sees a counselor who helps her deal with her PTSD. Things are hard for Ashley as she struggles with self harm, depression and anxiety. She tries to make new friends at school and leave her old life behind. However, her mother and stepfather show up one night at her new home demanding she leave with them. When she stands up for herself and says no her stepfather breaks her arm. Ashley prepares for court only to be let down when he is not given any jail time. Throughout the novel Ashely goes through ups and downs trying to navigate her own feelings and ability to cope with the world around her.
Critical Evaluation: Ashely Asher's story is powerful. Fehlabaum tackles the immensely difficult subject of childhood abuse extremely well. The story is not graphic, but is disturbing. At several points while reading I had to set the book down and process all the information put forth. Fehlabaum's own personal experience with abuse as a child lends itself beautifully to paper. It must have been challenging and cathartic for her to write the book. For teens who have or are experiencing abuse in some form, Hope in Patience can serve as a tool, giving them the strength they may not feel on their own. So often when children are abused they don't speak up because they have been made to feel shameful, alone, and like the abuse is their fault. Ashely experiences all of these emotions throughout the book and is able to slowly start to overcome them. By reading this book, some teens might see that they are not alone, that they can come forward stopping their abuse. Ashely's story is not an easy one. She doesn't magically get better once she's removed from the house. Instead it's a long process, but one with a light at the end. Fehlabaum's character development is one of the strongest aspects of the novel. Drawing from real life experiences and people, each of the characters felt like they had their own identities, which were all separate and unique. Fehlabaum also included a wide range of characters with different beliefs. Even giving many adults roles that were not supportive or examined other kinds of abuse. Teens can see that teachers/adults are not always in the right; that they should stand up for themselves and their beliefs. Fehlabaum shows teens there are ways to fight and to overcome.
Author: Beth Fehlabaum was born in Dallas, Texas, and has one brother, who is a police detective. Her husband and her were high school sweethearts, and married young. They have three daughters who are amazing and brilliant.When her youngest daughter started Kindergarten, she went to college to be a teacher, like Ashley's stepmom in the Patience books. Bev Asher and her share a passion for teaching, social justice, and insisting upon authenticity in the classroom. She has a B.A. in English, minor Secondary Education, from the University of Texas at Arlington, and an M.Ed. in Elementary Education, specializing in Reading, from Texas A & M -- Commerce. http://www.bethfehlbaumya.com/aboutme.htm Genre: Realistic Fiction
Curriculum Ties: CA State Health Standards Grades 9-12
- 1.9.G Explain laws related to sexual behavior and the involvement of minors.
- 3.4.G Evaluate laws related to sexual involvement with minors.
- 1.2.S Recognize potentially harmful or abusive relationships, including dangerous dating situations.
- 1.8.S Describe California laws regarding bullying, sexual violence, and sexual harassment.
- 1.1.M Describe the benefits of having positive relationships with trusted adults.
- 1.7.M Analyze signs of depression, potential suicide, and other self-destructive behaviors.
Booktalking Ideas: How can we recognize signs of abuse? What resources are available to us if we or someone we know is being abused?
Age: 14+
Challenge Issues:
- Sexual and Physical Abuse
Why I Included This Book: Hope in Patience puts readers into the shoes of a teenage abuse victim. Readers can learn a lot about acceptance of themselves and others through reading this novel.
WestSide Books, 2010, ISBN 9781934813416
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