Scattered Links
M. Weidenbenner, 2014
Random Publishing, LLC
257 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781494366957
Summary
Scattered Links is a novel that pulls its characters from the gutters and, in the end, celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit.
Thirteen-year-old Oksana lives on the streets of Russia with her pregnant mama and abusive aunt—both prostitutes. When Mama swells into labor, Oksana makes a decision to save herself from abandonment, a decision that torments her forever. But when her plan fails, her aunt dumps her in an orphanage before she has the chance to say goodbye to her mama or tell her the secret that haunts her.
Scattered Links is a story of family and the consequences that come from never learning how to love. It’s a story of a girl’s inability to bond with her adopted family and the frustrations that follow. How can a child understand the mechanics of forming a healthy relationship when she never had a mother who answered her cries, held her when she was frightened, fed her when she was hungry, or loved her unconditionally?
Only when the child meets a rescued abused horse, and recognizes the pain in his eyes, does she begin to trust again.
Watch the book trailer.
Author Bio
• Birth—July 1, 1957
• Where—Detroit, Michigan, USA
• Education—B.S., Taylor University
• Currently—lives in Warsaw, Indiana
Michelle is a fulltime employee of God's kingdom, writing and encouraging writers every day. She's often a sucker for emotional stories, her sensitive side fueling the passion for her character's plights, often giving her the ability to show readers the "other" side of the story. Her sensitive side hears the emotional, pain-filled stories that plague people in the world, their shouts and secrets wake her from sleep, cause her to miss turns in the road, and interrupt unrelated conversations.
She grew up in the burbs of Detroit with five brothers. No sisters. Each time her mom brought the boy bundle home Michelle cried, certain her mom liked boys better than girls. But when her brothers pitched in with the cooking, cleaning, and babysitting--without drama, Michelle discovered having brothers wasn't so bad. They even taught her how to take direct criticism without flinching, which comes in handy with book reviews.
Michelle is living her dream—writing every day and thanking God for the stories He puts in her path. When Michelle isn't writing she's winning ugly on the tennis court. She's known as "Queen of the Rim Shots." No joke. It's ugly. (From author's website.)
Visit the author's website.
Follow Michelle on Facebook.
Book Reviews
Captivating. Scattered Links takes you down the street of nearly any Eastern European town, arm-in-arm with the orphaned. Michelle has captured the beauty and horror millions of children live everyday. The attention to detail is impressive. Having lived in a post-Soviet country for a time, visiting orphaned children, this fictional account rings with truth, from the heart-wrenching pain of abandonment to the realization of self-worth, and the love family and faith brings. Thank you for such an uplifting book, appropriate for the young reader, as well as adult. May your heart be encouraged, as mine was.
Kim de Blecourt, author of Until We All Come Home: A Harrowing Journey, a Mother's Courage, a Race to Freedom
This story rings so true and close that it is sometimes hard to remember that it is fiction. This book is good for all ages and opens your eyes as you follow the journey of the main character, a Russian orphan. The story is written very well, researched and edited with added attention to details. The entire story is constructed to make it an experience for the reader and it is one I enjoyed. From the very first page until the last, I was riveted. This is a read-again story and even with the emotional charge in it, I recommend it. (5 stars.)
Kathryn Bennett - Reader's Favorite
This was one of the best books I've edited, and that's saying a lot. I critique and edit more than 200 books a year for writers. I can easily say Scattered Links is one of the best books I've worked on and read in years. Perfectly written, full of heart and soul, this is a story for teens and adults. I cried many times, so moved, and I rarely experience that kind of power in a novel. I absolutely love these characters, and the relationship Oksana has with Boris the horse is so terrific. Michelle's use of metaphor and symbolism in the book is beautiful, and her story is the kind that will endure for generations and should move hearts all over the world. Don't miss this book. It should win all the big awards.
Susanne Lakin - Amazon Customer Reviews (also, an author, editor, blogger at Live Write Thrive)
Discussion Questions
1. Describe how Oksana’s life was different in Russia than in the US.
2. Therapeutic horses have been proven to help special-needs children. What do you think contributes to the success of this theory?
3. Do you think RAD, reactive attachment disorder, is more prevalent in post-institutionalized children or foster children?
4. What did Oksana leave Ruzina in the orphanage?
5. How many children are being re-homed as a result of RAD? (Re-homed is when parents place their RAD children in other homes because they can’t cope with this disorder.)
6. What does our country do with unwanted children versus other countries? Is there a better way?
7. What were the emotional scenes? Did you cry? Why/why not?
8. If Oksana were a real character alive today how would her past affect who she is as a mother, employee, or wife?
9. What did you learn from reading this novel?
10. What genre would you say this book fits? Is it for young adults or women?
11. What tense was the book written in?
12. Would you have preferred to read it from Katie’s point-of-view too?
13. Do you think children with RAD can become well-functioning adults? Why/why not?
14. Why do you think Oksana was closer to Laura than Katie?
15. Were the characters believable? Why/why not?
(We'll add specific questions if and when they're made available by the publisher.)