The Bent Tree Path, Book One: A Secret Trail of Tears

In this first book of The Bent Tree Path series, A Secret Trail of Tears, Becca and Lena live in two different eras—one during the Vietnam War protest era of the 1970s through the recovery movement of the 1980s, the other before and during World War I and through the Great Depression. Each is snared in a vicious cycle of abuse, and must save not only themselves, but their children. And their children's children. And so on. Will it ever end? What will it take?

The 1920s roared nearby, but not In, Lena Burriss. Bucolic farm life in rural Maryland hadn’t prepared Lena for a marriage with domestic violence, but she would escape it to save her children. Time was not on her side, as children grow quickly. Neither were finances, cultural norms, the law, nor the Great Depression. Finding strength in her Cherokee heritage, nearly lost after the Indian Removal, and in associations with influential women in government, could make a difference--but will it be in time? Will it be enough?

Jump forward fifty years. Becca, a love- and peace-seeking teen, loses her way during the Vietnam War protest era. After becoming a single mother at fifteen, she must embrace a battle of her own—to create a better life for them both. She hasn’t a clue what it will take, nor what forces work within and around her to keep them ensnared.

How do these two lives intersect?

A veil of secrecy covered oppression and abuse from the Great Indian Removal to the Recovery Movement in the late 20th century, creating fertile ground for shame and further victimization. The Bent Tree Path, Book One, is a work of historical fiction that follows the lives of two women bent on escaping from—and changing—this cyclic snare.

What will it take to break the veil of secrecy? Can the cycle be broken?

Over 24 million people participated in the Metoo movement. The fallout of ethnic oppression, domestic and sexual abuse is widespread and calls for our attention even today. But what happens once our eyes are open to the injustice around us? What happens once we admit to being a victim? Is there a way to overcome such trauma—enough to truly thrive? Enough, and in time for, our children to escape the snare? Join the fictional journey of several generations of women who learn what it costs to keep and to break the silence that too often follows oppression and abuse. Begin your journey with the women of The Bent Tree Path, Book One.

Stay tuned for The Bent Tree Path, Book Two, to continue the journey in women's fiction--forward, back and deeper, exploring ancestry, intergenerational complexity, and what it takes to find wholeness and health after victimization and shame.

The author, Joan T. Warren, is a retired occupational therapist and addictions minister. She brings to her experience both heart and soul, with a compelling story that resounds through generations and ages. Understanding the dynamics of recovering from being a victim of abuse and neglect, the author affirms what is good at heart and relationships and, in so doing, inspires readers into a healthier journey for their own lives and the world around.

Trigger Alerts: Sensitivity awareness for sexual situations, sexual, physical and verbal abuse and neglect, domestic violence, child molestation, Cherokee heritage, Indian Affairs Bureau, alcohol and illegal drug use, toxic faith, Christianity and spirituality. Each subject is addressed in a non-gratuitous, non-exploitive manner and is necessary for the realistic handling of the novel's plot and theme.

It's all about relationships. Our relationships with God, with ourselves, and with others, breathe life into everything we do. That's how Joan thinks, anyway. She loves to build and maintain healthy relationships and encourage others in their journey toward wholeness. An author and speaker, her former work as an occupational therapist and addictions minister bring expertise, depth, fun and function to all she does. A grateful survivor and overcomer by the Power of Love, she inspires others toward a deep inner journey of health that can transform both internal and external life.