The Mark of Abel

Larry Arnold
Zumaya Publications (2005)
ISBN 1554102723
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/06)

The “Mark of Abel” is described as the feeling of helplessness that one experiences after having been victimized. Author Larry Arnold draws upon his twelve years of experience in helping survivors of rape and family violence to write this compelling story. He also uses his extensive experience and knowledge regarding firearms to add richness to his story.

The plot is based around the lives of three women Gabrielle, Merry and Sandalin who reside in the small Texan community of Denim County. Sandalin is a musician, Merry runs the Denim Rape Crisis Center, and Gabrielle is a newspaper writer. When violence hits Denim, the women are all affected and take action based upon their skills.

The drama unfolds when a child is raped by a serial pedophile. Through the author’ s experience from his work, you are taken through the process of what a child has to go through, after an assault, for evidence collecting and the investigation. This is not easy reading. It is heartrending. One of the women in the story is recovering from a childhood assault, another has to defend herself and her home against attackers. As the story goes on, personal relationships are affected by the past and present abuses. Some relationships end, others are strengthened.

“A big part of recovering from being victimized is regaining your sense of self- control” comments Larry Arnold. These women do become empowered; so does the little girl. This is an excellent story. I highly recommend “The Mark of Abel” to readers who enjoy complex novels. It is not a light read. It is an incredible story about personal growth and empowerment that can come from recovering from tragedy.

Make comment on weblog