Hope in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum

Hope in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum, WestSide Books, 2010.
ISBN: 978-1934813416

Plot Summary

After escaping her sexually abusive stepfather, Ashley now lives with her father and her stepmother in the rural Texas town of Patience. Although Ashley is free of her stepfather her life is not easy as she must learn to heal not only from the sexual abuse she suffered but from her mother’s neglect and rejection as well. With the help of her new family and her therapist, Dr. Matt, she is trying to get better but she is still often frightened and suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress disorder. Her life becomes further complicated as she begins a new school and joins the track team. Hiding her past from her classmates, especially in such a small town, begins to prove difficult, especially when her classmate Joshua begins to take an interest in her. Will Ashley be able to heal and start at new life in Patience or will she be forever trapped by her past?

Critical Evaluation

In Hope in Patience Fehlbaum gives a voice to those whose lives have been torn apart by sexual abuse. She does an excellent job detailing Ashley’s journey to recovery, relating her triumphs and set-backs and her hopes and fears. Indeed, Fehlbaum refuses to gloss over any part of Ashley’s self-recovery or past, which allows readers to better understand Ashley’s situation. Through Ashley’s tale Fehlbaum helps readers understand how difficult it can be to recover from such a trauma and provides them with the necessary tools to help them become better supportive friends and family members. However, despite providing a voice for those who need it most, Fehlbaum’s book lacks a balanced cast. Although Ashley lives in a small, conservative, rural town, all the kind people in her life are either liberal minded or distinctly lack a political leaning. This seems odd as most of the people Ashley would encounter would likely be conservative. Additionally, Fehlbaum provides an overly zealous Christian boy who enjoys telling his classmates how misguided they are, and yet does not provide his counterpart, a devoted Christian who is kind and understanding. However, despite this puzzling imbalance in the supporting characters, Fehlbaum’s story is a good one, full of honesty and hope, making it a welcome addition to any teen collection.

Reader’s Annotation

After escaping an abusive step-father, Ashley Asher seeks to heal in her new home with a father she has not seen for most of her life. Healing will not be easy as she combats rumors, struggles to fit in at school, and relearns how to be a good friend but with help Ashley learns that she need not be a victim any longer.

About the Author

Beth Fehlbaum, author of Courage in Patience and Hope in Patience is both a writer and a teacher. Born in Dallas, Texas, Beth grew up with one brother. She met her husband in high school and they married shortly afterwards. Majoring in English for her undergraduate degree, she went on to gain her Master’s in Elementary Education from Texas A & M. She taught middle school for some years but now teaches fifth graders in East Texas.

Fehlbaum began writing as a way to heal from her own abusive childhood on the recommendation of her counselor. She imagined what it would have been like if she had been able to escape her abusive stepfather at an earlier age and thus the character of Ashley was born. Ashley’s story in many ways mirrors Fehlbaum’s own. Fehlbaum is currently working on the third book in the series, Truth in Patience.

Fehlbaum, B. (2009). About me. Retrieved from http://www.bethfehlbaumya.com/aboutme.htm

Genre

Bibliotherapy, Coming of Age, Realistic fiction

Tags

Child abuse, rape, stepfather, stepmother, negligent parent, PTSD, track, Ironman, Farewell to Manzanar, World War II, Japanese internment camps, counseling

Curriculum Ties

This book ties directly to Chris Crutcher’s Ironman and Jean Wakatsuki Houston’s Farewell to Manzanar. It could also be included in units about tolerance, child abuse, family structures, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Booktalk Ideas

--Include statistics on child abuse

--Lead off with a question like “What are some issues today that you feel are important but are often overlooked?” After this, talk about how one of these issues is child abuse.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: 5^th grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grade (14-18 yrs)

Reading level is according to AR BookFinder found at http://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=142336&l=EN&slid=189297075

Challenge Issues

This book could potentially be challenged because it contains sexual abuse of a child. If challenged, librarians could point out how the book serves to help the healing process of those who have been sexually abused. Librarians could also show challengers the statistics concerning child abuse and point to articles stating how books such as Hope in Patience aid in therapy.

Favorite Quotes

“Ashley Asher, somebody told you that you weren’t good at math and you believed them. And that’s a big reason you make the mistakes you do. It’s because you’re so afraid of making a mistake” –Nanny, pg. 37

“This is the thing that’s going to get you through the tough stuff, Ash. Remembering that you have a choice about whether or keep going or give in the sadness” –Bev, pg. 303

Why Was This Included?

I included this book because it was required reading for our class. I also believe that it makes a powerful addition to any Young Adult library collection.