Impressions of Carly

Impressions of Carly offers a series of dramatised perspectives on the changes a woman undergoes from her romantic love for a man who touches her heart to an innocent victim of violence. Seen from the points of view of a friend, neighbour, parent or passerby, Carly struggles to understand why this man threatens her understanding of what a loving relationship is. and to puzzle why she ended up caught in this web of manipulation, lies and danger. Even the birth of her son results in overturning her hopes for an end to the abuse and leaves her in desperation to keep her child safe from harm.

The questions this story reveals are often asked and so often receive no clear answers. Will an abusive parent destroy the life of her child? What must she sacrifice to find a home where she and her child can recover and build a life for themselves safe from harm? What will be the long term impact of the violence on her life and what does being a survivor look like? An immensely compelling and powerful novel that will leave the reader shaken to their core.

Paula is a survivor of domestic violence and has drawn on her experiences to produce a powerful and heartbreaking account of living with intimate partner violence. A loving wife to her husband Scott and mother to three adult sons. Paula has spent many years working in the disability field. Creating this novel was a long-held dream for Paula but it was also one that came at significant personal cost, as the writing process compelled her to face and process the trauma she had experienced as a young woman.

Customer Reviews

5.0

3 reviews

anonymous

This book was an emotional rollercoaster for me and something I could not put down. An extremely powerful story, that reflects on the author's lived experience in a domestic violence relationship and how they have overcome many complex and significant challenges in life, it brings awareness to the subject and made me think deeper about individuals' actions. The author is a very talented writer and has reflected and bought an understanding of something so personal in her life. It was such a hard read however, I strongly feel everyone should read this book and I will forever recommend it to friends/family and anyone else.
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as a man, I'm learning about how we men have been terrible and selfish in our relationships. to understand how and why we men commit such atrocities against women is an important matter, but to read just how our behaviour damages women are much more important.

we men need to have the courage to read this book. it is honest, and compelling and avoids the pitfall of generalising blame. We can learn from this to be respectful and empathic.
private

Carly could be any of us, anyone you know, met casually, work with, see at the shops, or come across in the course of daily life. There is no identifying the Carly's around us. Until they let you into their world. The author has taken 35 years to show you a glimpse of her world all those years ago and the lasting impacts of domestic violence on her and her son. This book is a must-read for everyone, men and women. It's not made up, it's not exaggerated. If anything, you can read how much has been left out. But it shows us how differently different demographics of people perceive the same woman and her situation and just how wrong first impressions are.

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