Adrianne's Ears

In this thoughtful and compelling memoir, author Adrianne Haynes traces the incredible story of her survival. Growing up in post-war London, Adrianne grows up in an unimaginably toxic environment, contending with an alcoholic, abusive mother who pits her and her older sister against each other, encouraging physical violence between the two. Meanwhile, she faces no shortage of personal traumas, dealing with a learning disability when the concept had yet to be recognized, fending off abuse from her teachers, and dealing with the aftermath of a local boy threatening her at knifepoint, demanding a look up her skirt. It is not until her mother dies and she gets the chance to become her brother's legal ward in Canada that she has a chance at escape-but not before discovering a secret that will threaten her life before she gets there. Adrianne's Ears is a beautifully written rendition of a truly extraordinary life, harrowing and heartening in turns, and a testament to the power of faith in God, even-and perhaps especially-in the face of unimaginable odds.