Great Books by Susan Wiggs
Enchanted Afternoon
Fireside
Just Breathe
by Susan Wiggs
I’ve read dozens of books that told me I needed a safety plan, but not one told me how to get it done. I went to domestic violence shelters around the country in search of one. I came up empty. That’s why I created this site. My best ideas came straight out of Susan Wiggs’ books.
Enchanted Afternoon was my introduction to Susan Wiggs. I bought the book at Costco because it was tagged “Northwest Author.” I’m a firm believer in supporting local folks. I was intrigued because the story was about a woman like me, Helena Cabot Barnes, fleeing a powerful politician. The story is set in upstate New York during the time of suffragettes. Helena and her circle of protection pooled their resources and created my dream: Moon Lake Lodge. I’ve long thought that women experiencing intense domestic violence would be better off going to a spa for a week than a domestic violence shelter for a month.
When our lives are upside down, we need to retreat to a place where we can chill out and decompress. Ideally, we’ll find empathetic people there who have survived similar circumstances and who can help us unscramble our brains and craft a cogent strategy.
In each book, the heroine faces very real, life-altering challenges. What to do? Where to go? Who will help? What resources can be leveraged? How to get out of this mess? It is easy to get overwhelmed, discouraged, and depressed. Susan Wiggs’ books have helped me tremendously to navigate the uncharted waters of my life and to create a map for others to follow. And, many times she has provided me the escape that I needed to calm down, laugh, and remember the sun does indeed come up tomorrow. Well, maybe not. . .we’re in Seattle!
