“Where he goes, you cannot follow,

for it is a place in the depths of darkness,

barely illuminated by the Spirit.

Someone once told you of this dark, barren wasteland, 

but you were not sure it really existed.

A black hole, 

a soundless century-long existence 

few ever return from, few can ever bare. 

You cry for him, his circumstance;

you suffer and anguish over his decided present and future,

but you cannot change it …

… and you must go on.” 

WINNER OF THE 2022 ILLUMINATION BOOK AWARDS ENDURING LIGHT SILVER MEDAL

“This incredible book is a gift to every victim.”

—VICKI BOURUS, SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault former executive director

INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS FINALIST

     Not sure if it’s abuse? 
 
     Award-winning author, speaker, and survivor Patty Wain Smith understands the confusion and the pain. She knows what it feels like to try everything in a relationship where nothing makes sense and nothing works. She shows us what abuse looks like and a way to the other side—to peace, love, light, happiness, and to freedom—within the empowering embrace of A Letter to a Friend: The Story of Abuse in America.

     Patty goes beyond self-help and documentaries. The conversation is intimate, affirming, and relatable for victims and those who want to know why it’s so hard to leave.

•  Gentle, powerful, and unspeakably honest—the perfect book for someone in an emotionally or physically abusive relationship or still healing from one.
• Creative and empowering—the reader becomes part of the story and experiences that empowerment and self-love are elements of the Christian faith. 

     A Letter to a Friend: The Story of Abuse in America converges psychology, counseling, domestic violence, child development, and Christian principles into a short, powerful read. There’s a bonus at the back: a link to an original song that helps the reader grieve—an essential part of recovery. Follow the journey of a survivor who grows stronger and wiser after accepting God’s gift, and discover the one thing that changes everything.
 
New Words Publishing, LLC