Lynne Hugo, The Unspoken Years

The Unspoken Years

Lynne Hugo

Harlequin Next, May 2006, $5.50

ISBN: 0373880944

Growing up in abusive home led by a psychotic mother Elizabeth was not easy for Ruth or her brother Roger. Out of nowhere they could by physically punished without any idea what they did. Their mom could become unhinged in a nanosecond while a moment before she was euphoric and happy. For the siblings childhood was not just an unhappy place, it was hell.

As an adult Ruth realizes her mother was crazy, but that does not provide any solace to her as she trusts no one; she believes Roger is probably even more unbalanced than she is. Ruth fears relationships especially loving ones as she knows that love hurts. Evan loves Ruth and tries to reach out to her with no success. Still he is there for his beloved and nudges her to open up to him though he doubts she will ever believe that he will always be there for her.

This well written novel provides a deep intense and often emotional look at the impact on an adult when they were abused as a child. The graphic storyline uses flashbacks to Ruth's mother whose detrimental personality causes seemingly non-repairable harm to her children. Readers will find Ruth fascinating as her fears will shake readers with her concerns she is a chip off the old block and should not have children. She is also afraid she will unable to walk away from an abusive relationship (sounds so simple yet so impossible). Although not for everyone, Lynne Hugo will have her audience ponder long after reading THE UNSPOKEN YEARS how the child becomes the adult.

Harriet Klausner