PUPPET CHILD, A NOVEL BY TALIA CARNER, EXPLORES A JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT FAILS THE MOST VULNERABLE -- SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN
How far will a mother go to save her child? How do victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse become victimized again by the people and institutions meant to help them? These two questions are at the core of Talia Carner's first novel, PUPPET CHILD, a family legal drama set on Long Island. Few, if any, novels in recent years have dealt with this very real problem -- the treacherous morass our legal system has become for children and parents caught up in the nightmare of sexual abuse. PUPPET CHILD is a story that unfolds against a backdrop of the theatrics of New York Family Court, a system fueled by the political machine which must placate an ever changing public opinion and the media pressure that often surrounds such cases.
Prior to its publication, PUPPET CHILD has been praised as "relevant and enlightening," "taut and suspenseful," "moving," "gripping," "a gut wrenching story" that "will leave you breathless" [see attached quote sheet for complete quotes and attributions.
PUPPET CHILD [259 pages is being released in October 2002 in simultaneous hardcover [$23.95; ISBN 1-59861-018-0 and paperback [$13.95; ISBN 1-930252-98-6 editions. Both editions contain a Reading Group Guide.
PUPPET CHILD is the story of Rachel Belmore, a 34-year-old advertising executive and mother who has everything, who wakes up one night to a vision of hell -- her husband sexually molesting their young daughter, Ellie. Fleeing their Fifth Avenue penthouse and a life of luxury, Rachel begins a prolonged decent into a world she could not previously even imagine. In Family Court Rachel must face a judge who believes that he applies the law without prejudice, but in fact is trapped by his own biases, the needs of a reelection campaign, and the winds of a growing media storm. Also aligned against her, her estranged husband, the handsome, glamorous, and politically connected, Dr. Wes Belmore [dubbed "surgeon to the stars" by People magazine and his high powered lawyer who convincingly portrays Rachel as an unstable and delusional kidnapper. Thrown into the center of a media frenzy, her career in jeopardy, her close relationships in chaos, her finances almost gone, and just one court hearing away from having to turn over her 5-year-old daughter to the permanent custody of a pedophile, Rachel takes matters into her own hands. She begins a journey that will take her from the horrors of a women's prison to the discovery of a true love, through family betrayals and family heroism to a final illuminating spiritual rebirth and the salvation of her "puppet child."
Ms. Carner's research for PUPPET CHILD included many days attending Family Court in New York, where she was allowed access to closed hearings and court files. She also set up an 800 number called by dozens of mothers who told her their heartbreaking stories of callous injustice, judicial incompetence, and life-shattering loss.
About the Author: Talia Carner, who was born in Israel, was the publisher of Savvy magazine and the founder of Business Women Marketing Corporation, a firm specializing in creating marketing and promotional programs targeting women executives. A former adjunct professor at Long Island University, she has also been a counselor and lecturer for the Small Business Administration, a member of United States Information Agency missions to Russia, and a participant at the 1995 International Women's Conference in Beijing. A long-time member and supporter of women's civic, political and professional organizations, she is currently active in a number of groups fighting domestic violence. Ms. Carner is the author of personal essays and short stories which have appeared in The New York Times, the Chocolate For A Woman's Soul series [Simon & Schuster, Cup of Comfort [Adams Media, Lilith, and in several small literary magazines, including Lynx Eye, Moxie, and Rosebud. Talia Carner and her husband Ron, have four grown children. The couple lives in Port Washington, Long Island.
8/02
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