Jagged Sky (ePub)

Samantha's mother is killed in a car accident when she's three. She's being raised by her grandparents. Her disturbed father snatches her and takes her from Kentucky to Missouri, where he intends to raise her in the same house he was raised in. Dirk was abused as a child and he abuses and neglects his baby daughter. He makes her stay downstairs in a dirty cellar, threatening her not to come out. Dirk's an alcoholic and he rapes Sam in a whiskey induced fog when she's only ten years old. The abuse is repeated and she hangs on, hopeful that soon she can be safe and happy. Things get worse. Dirk brutally rapes her at 16, and she snaps, and takes his life. The cycle of abuse will end with Samantha, but now she will face a judge. Everyone, including the prosecuting attorney falls in love with Sam. She undergoes hypnosis and her torturous childhood is revealed to them all. She's diagnosed with split psychosis because Sam reverts back to a child in her grandmother's care while being molested by her deranged dad. She is sentenced to two years in a state run psychological facility and she finds her sanity there. Sam is 18 now, and she's on her way home to Kentucky. The story is a poignant portrayal of her survival and ultimate strength to fight through a horrendous childhood. She becomes a voice for other kids as an adult and even writes an article which is published. There's a clear blue sky at the end. She'll never be afraid or alone again. She buries the childhood stuffed cat she calls Kitty, and goes on to meet her future husband, Noah.