Breakable Vow » (First Avon Edition)

Kathryn Ann Clarke has extensive experience in the field of domestic violence. She has worked in the criminal court system for fifteen years, assisting battered women. As a national speaker and instructor, Kathy has trained thousands of police officers, judges, states’ attorneys, and counselors.

A former victim herself, Kathy brings realism and clarity to an often confusing issue. In recent years she has shifted her focus to prevention, providing consulting and program implementation to schools, churches, and women’s groups. She currently resides in County Cavan, Ireland, with her husband and six children.

Annie McGowan is eighteen years old, smart, wisecracking, fun-loving . . . a typical teenager. Yet circumstances force Annie out of the security of high school and into a world of problems all her own. Faced with an unexpected pregnancy and a turbulent, violent relationship with her boyfriend, Kevin, Annie's life begins to spiral out of control. And though her worst fears about Kevin are realized, in the heat of the moment, she finds the courage to fight back.

First-time author and domestic violence expert Kathryn Ann Clarke brings clarity and compassion to an often hotly debated issue. In this inspiring debut novel, one remarkable young woman faces the most difficult odds and emerges on the other side — whole.

The Breakable Vow features a special educational Classroom Guide section in the back of the book that discusses: How to Recognize the Danger Signs of an Abusive Relationship, Safety Planning, Break-Up Planning, Cycle of Violence, Questions to Ask About the New Person in Your Life, and much more.

Publishers Weekly

In newcomer Clarke's instructional problem novel about an abusive relationship, Annie gets pregnant by her possessive high school sweetheart, gives birth to their daughter, then marries him. She moves with Kevin from Chicago to Texas, where he receives full ride on a football scholarship; there, his violence towards Annie escalates until a vicious attack convinces her to seek help. But even with a counselor-and a restraining order-Kevin continues to terrorize her until she gets help from outside the law. Clarke, a domestic violence expert, does an excellent job laying out the issues that a young person might face in an abusive relationship and when trying to get out (the author describes the abuse graphically, and in one troubling scene, a police officer called to her house tells her that if she signs a complaint, Kevin "would have a permanent arrest record and all because his wife was flirting at a party"). An appendix covers topics such as the characteristics of an abuser and how to create a safety plan. Unfortunately, much of the narrative emphasizes telling over showing ("It had been so long since there was someone who seemed to really care about her"), and characters with names like Maureen and Marty give the book a dated feel. All in all, the novel comes across as a pointed cautionary tale, and readers may be disappointed that Annie must depend on an outsider-not herself or the system-to ultimately solve her problems. Ages 12-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.