Gemma - Softcover

Meg Tilly

3.76

894 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0929636619 ISBN 13: 9780929636610

Publisher: Syren Book Company, 2006

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After Hazen Wood kidnaps 12 year-old Gemma Sullivan, the two embark upon a cross-country journey that tests the limits of Gemma's endurance. In graphic scenes of physical and sexual violence, Hazen tries to destroy the young girl's will. It is only Gemma's childlike resilience and fertile imagination that protect her from the worst of the abuse she suffers. And in the end, the healing power of unconditional love gives Gemma the courage to speak out against her abuser at last--reclaiming her dignity as a human being.

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From the Publisher:

Reviewers already are praising Meg Tilly's second novel. Donna Seaman of Booklist writes,". . .Gemma is an astonishingly vital and involving character. She is first raped at age 8 by Buddy, her despicable mother's live-in boyfriend. When Gemma turns 12, Buddy pimps her to another psycho, Hazen Wood, who kidnaps Gemma and sets out on a cross-country rape-and-torture spree. Tilly has entered Joyce Carol Oates' country, where preyed-upon girls survive by virtue of the power of their minds. . . .Girlish cuteness alternates with sexual violence, highlighting the horror of the crimes Tilly so unflinchingly imagines. Tilly achieves moments of raw beauty and genuine fierceness while sustaining the intensity of an X-rated thriller and driving this harrowing story all the way to the courtroom." Kirkus Reviews also lauds Ms. Tilly's work,stating, "Tilly, an actress best known for her screen roles in Agnes of God and The Big Chill, successfully captures Gemma’s wounded voice. The story is told from the point of view of both Gemma and her captor, and Tilly is equally proficient at conjuring up a revolting and consummate villain. . . Tilly has talent, but it remains to be seen whether she will find an audience willing to take on this unsettling subject. A haunting tale of abuse that may leave readers queasy." Watch for national television and radio interviews with Ms. Tilly this fall, beginning with a feature article in People magazine's August 25 issue.

From the Back Cover:

"The beauty of Nancy Miller's book--apart from the simple charm of the toys themselves--is the spectrum of stories she tells about the sundry children involved. . . . The empowering approach to working with disabled and marginalized children makes The Wondrous Toy Workshop a groundbreaking contribution to the pedagogy of the disadvantaged." -- David Werner, author of Where There Is No Doctor

"Hanni is a monarch, a monarch butterfly fleeing the Canadian cold and arriving in a Mexican sanctuary, seeking the warmth of these lands and these skies. Her wings are beautiful. She recognizes no limits or frontiers. Hanni, our monarch, teaches us by her example and generous spirit."--Oth�n Cuevas, Director, Cent�otl Community Development Project and Federal Congressman, Mexico

"At a time when parents are concerned about contaminated toys coming from China, it's nice to see a book that shows us how to have fun making our own: The Wondrous Toy Workshop reminds us of the pleasure we can take in our own creations. It also shows us a clear alternative to children doing dangerous work on the street."--David L. Parker, author of Before Their Time: The World of Child Labor

"Hanni Sager is an example of the best in humanity: she helps, she supports; her will to create is demonstrable and contagious. Her integrity is unquestionable. Her imagination and sensitivity are manifested in what she makes. Her creativity knows no bounds, and what she sees and touches she transforms.

Hanni's living now in her paradise on the Calle de los Ensue�os, in San Agust�n Etla, Oaxaca. There we see her garden, her wooden birds, her caterpillar made of tin cans, and her altar to Frida Kahlo, who must be watching and admiring Hanni from above--all of her, her iron will, her creativity, her playfulness like that of a young girl.

Hanni, we continue to enrich ourselves through your spirit. May the festival of your imagination and sensitivity never stop!"--Edmundo Aquino, painter, sculptor, printmaker

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