A southern family saga emerges as Nettie begins a quest to discover who she is. Twenty-one years old and Annette Roberta Randall is searching, looking for herself. The perception and sensitivity she relied on to bolster her through an isolated childhood have disappeared and with them her sense of self. Nettie also seeks the truth, information about her dysfunctional family and the mysteries that whisper to her in their eccentric family home. She receives glimpses in the alcohol induced monologues of her mother, Delores Cecelia, “DeCe”. However, DeCe lost herself long before Nettie was born, and she buried her secrets so deep, even the spirits haunting her cannot unlock her soul. Pup, Nettie’s peculiar uncle, may have witnessed the most recent chaos, but he cannot communicate what he knows for sure. Nettie’s struggles are apparent to her extended family and neighbors, but only she can resolve to overcome the pull of the notorius Kirkland family and Berclaire mansion. The secrets fester and DeCe clings to them like the neglected ivy tendrils on the shadowed side of the mansion. Slowly, the truth will unfold, but will it be enough to free Nettie, or the undoing of her mother, DeCe?
Nettie believed it was possible her grandfather, Old Nate, was responsible for the hauntings at the Berclaire mansion, but the more she learns of her great grandmother, Roberta, she decides he might have been a victim, also. DeCe had been taking pills and drinking alcohol from before the time she was a teenager, attempting to numb herself to her dysfunctional family. Nettie could only guess at a history during her drunken orations about DeCe's childhood. Nettie knows she is the seventh child born to DeCe, the others gone before Nettie was born. Some would filter back into her life, but would they help her learn more about her identity, or bring more pain?
- File Size: 929 KB
- Print Length: 332 pages
- Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
- Publisher: DelCorazone; 1 edition (March 8, 2016)
www.phyllishmoore.com
Phyllis H. Moore is the author of the Sabine Trilogy, Sabine, Book One, Josephine's Journal's Book Two, and Secrets of Dunn House, Book Three. She also has written Tangled, A Yarn and Opal's Story, A Novel. All of these novels are written in the Southern Gothic style. Phyllis calls them Texas Gothic. They are set in her home state, Texas.
She is fond of reading authors like Fannie Flagg, Rebecca Wells and Kathryn Stockett, stories of dysfunctional families with a touch of humor. She is also fond of the non-fiction of Rick Bragg and Jeanette Walls.
Phyllis is a self-published author, retired social worker, avid gardener and loves to travel. She lives on a small ranch in South Texas with her husband and their adopted terrier, Ollie Bubba. She has operated a haunted bed and breakfast and has stories to tell.
TANGLED. DeCe’s secrets are unimaginable! Unthinkable! She has debilitating depression and haunting dreams. No motivation and is withdrawing from everything. Her childhood was dysfunctional, and now her life is erratic. The only way of survival is to put mechanisms in place deflecting all her hurt and pain. What goes around eventually comes back around and the generations of this family have continuously repeated bad habits. DeCe’s daughter Nettie, feels an obligation to care for her mother and family. Yet, all she really wants is find answers to DeCe’s horrible past. Nettie is not prepared for all the hurt and pain her mother is carrying. She is trying desperately to develop a connection with her mother before her unstable acts became destructive. Nettie refuses to fall into the dysfunctional patterns of her of her families past. She becomes hopeful about college and moving out of the house, but the hidden secrets her mother holds keeps is holding her back. We find Nettie in a circumstance many young people encounter when caring for a family member or choosing a future. TANGLED includes several different topics of society and personal choices. The characters each have a deep connection and purpose in DeCe’s life. The end is not the really the end! These are the only truths spoken! DeCe is left considering rehabilitation for the first time. Nettie is withholds critical information about her family and it’s past. Should she squeal, and upset the town? Who knows! The plot continues throughout the storyline to add shocking events. Things you would never imagine. Then it spins again. We are left feeling compassion for DeCe, and her decisions. I joyfully accepted this book in exchange for an honest review. Rating it 4 out of 5 stars. It would be interesting to have a possible sequel, unveiling the hidden secrets. Kris
