Forgiving Sam - Hardcover

Clark, Powell

4.38

13 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 158838067X ISBN 13: 9781588380678

Publisher: NewSouth Books, 2002

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Riveting and heart-rending, Forgiving Sam is the story of a life scarred at its beginning, and how much love and forgiveness it takes for a man to overcome and finally let go the violent damage done to his child-self. After being kidnapped as a boy and severely assaulted physically, sexually, and mentally, Sam MacCauley begins the tortuous trek toward adulthood. After a time he appears healed, but his repressed anger and guilt threaten to destroy the happiness he finds in an outwardly successful career and family life. The buried past finally catches up with him when he reaches out to help another abused youth. Things then fall apart as Sam’s pain causes turmoil for his wife and children. Forgiving Sam, touching, horrific, and ultimately redemptive, follows a tortured soul’s path from pain to healing. The writing is powerful, and the story is engrossing.

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About the Author:

Bonnie Powell Clark is a retired registered nurse who lives in Empire, Alabama. Although this is her first novel, her short fiction has been published in Kalliope and State Street Review. She is married and the mother of three.

Review:

"This powerful novel of development follows Sam MacCauley through a nightmare encounter with a John Wayne Gacy-type who kidnaps and brutalizes him as a nine-year-old. With guilt and fear his constant companions, he fights for a normal life. B. Powell Clark holds no punches as she explores his nascent sexuality, marriages, and births of children―all with the Monster from his past waiting to destroy everything." ―Howard Denson, editor, State Street Review and Co-founder of North Florida Writers
"Powell Clark writes well and swiftly and brings to the reader the terrible truths about child abuse ... Forgiving Sam dramatically sheds light on a dark subject that has been hidden for far too long." ―Philip Carlo, author of Stolen Flowers and true crime: Night Stalker
"Forgiving Sam tells the story of a terrible wounding in childhood and the long journey toward redemption, forgiveness, and love. The riveting saga unfolds like a mystery and packs a wallop. Read the first page and you won't put it down until it is done." ―author of Sweet Mystery: A Book of Remembering
"Any parent (or grandparent) of young children should read this horrifyingly graphic but gripping story of pederasty and its lasting and horrible effects on the victims involved. The book is engrossing despite its terrible subject matter. I found it to be a page-turner, and when I finished I felt rewarded for having followed Sam through to his eventual emancipation. Look for further works from this new author. She has great talent and has obviously done extensive research." ―Ferroll Sams, Jr., author of Run with the Horsemen, The Whisper of the River, When All the World Was Young
"Tough, unflinching fiction about an abused child growing into a tortured man, and how he eventually recovers ... Clark has captured on paper the devastating psychology of pain and the way to recovery in this horrific, yet beautiful, first novel." ―John Douglas, New York Times #1 Bestelling author of Mind Hunter and former FBI Criminal Profiler
"This powerful story of guilt and redemption revolves around Sam MacCauley, Alabama roving action reporter and primetime TV news anchor. A story of love (not a love story) that chronicles the responsibilities and benefits of that precarious emotion, this first novel by Clark, a retired nurse, is highly recommended." ―Library Journal

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