Invisible Damage was published in ebook format on May 17th with a paperback version to follow shortly. It is the story of a woman, Sam, who has left her abusive husband Jason. She has taken their thirteen year old daughter Molly and fled to her mother’s house. However, her mother is far from supportive and Sam knows she has to move on.

Sam applies for a post in a small village school in Kent. It is a world away from the vibrant and diverse area of London in which she teaches, but she has no expectation of getting the job.

The story explores the impact of coercive control and Sam’s struggle to make a new life for herself in a very unfamiliar environment. She writes a blog, and this enables her to adopt an alternative persona – someone who is strong and confident; the person she would like to be. At the same time, Sam is plagued by the memories of what Jason did to her and life in the country proves to be anything but peaceful.

I was inspired to write this book by the experiences of a friend who overcame the impact of such a relationship. I felt it was important to write about what she told me, but also to celebrate the strength and resilience of the human spirit her story demonstrates. The characters and the setting are all fictional, but the background is grounded in reality.

Ultimately, Invisible Damage is a book about courage, hope and recovery.

Click here to go to Invisible Damage on Amazon.

This is the blurb:

What did he do? What was the line he crossed, the line she hadn’t even considered?

Sam will need all her courage to recover from years of bullying and control in an abusive marriage. She takes a job in a small village school, a world away from her life in London, but living in the country turns out to be more dangerous than she could have guessed. Is she strong enough to meet her challenges and overcome the damage that nobody sees?

This is my favourite review:

Poignant, real and insightful

Invisible Damage is an insightful and intriguingly presented novel about a professional woman moving forward with her life after years of her husband’s psychological abuse. I’ve known women in this situation, and every sentiment, every interaction, every flashback rang true.

The struggle to build/maintain relationships with others, the secrecy, the battle to hold on to self-confidence and self-esteem – it’s all in here. While the action is quite low-key for the most part, there are heart-stopping moments throughout, and the build-up to the conclusion is intense.

I really enjoyed the narrative styles, and the way the author used these to separate the different elements of the story.

All in all, Invisible Damage is a well-written fictional novel that also serves as a case study of the effects of different kinds of abuse on women’s lives – entertaining, compelling and perhaps educational, too.

Click here to go to the Invisible Damage page on Amazon