If I Am Missing or Dead by Janine Latus

I am currently in the middle of a book by Norfolk writer, Janine Latus titled If I am Missing or Dead. After writing an essay for O Magazine, Janine was asked by Simon & Schuster to write a memoir about her life. The essay, with the same title as the book, was written about Janine's sister Amy and her struggle to free herself from an abusive cycle of men, from her father to her husband. When Amy goes missing and the note if found, "If I am missing or dead...contact so and so."

I was expecting this book to be more about Amy than about Janine. It is just as much about Janine and about her relationships with men and about her relationship with her little sister.

I was bothered by Janine's writing at first, because she is very much a fact-stater. She was abused by a father of children she was babysitting and she just tells you about the experience in a matter-of-fact tone. I didn't like it because I didn't hear any emotion in her voice.

Now that I am about half way through this book, I am glad that Janine doesn't show too much emotion in her voice. Too much happens, things would get too emotional and be too sad if she said what was really going through her head and heart I wouldn't be able to get through it at all.

I'll let you know more details as soon as I've finished reading the book.

susie