Words

November 22, 2010
First-time novelist Yttrup writes a riveting, emotionally charged story about a 10-year-old sexual abuse victim, Kaylee Wren, who has literally lost her voice in the aftermath of ongoing trauma. Kaylee, living with her mom's abusive boyfriend after her mother abandons her, turns to the world of words for her comfort and sanity. Smart as a whip, Kaylee sounds out words in her mind and links words and phrases far beyond comprehension for her age as she puzzles out hour-by-hour survival. Enter the 30-ish Sierra Dawn, a grief-stricken artist whose own infant daughter died 12 years earlier. When these two meet, there is a supernatural connection. Rescuing Kaylee from her tormenter is only the first step to freedom for both of these characters, as they walk toward wholeness. Yttrup's story is particularly powerful as it in part mirrors her own painful past. Page by page, word by word, this talented author proves the adage "Write what you know.".