About the Book
This book may be read as a stand-alone novel or as part of the series entitled Tara's Family.
In From the Valley: A Novel of Family, Drugs, Recovery, Consequences, and Relationships, Tara Wilson is, once again, called upon to help out the members of her family. This time, she finds herself faced with yet another nephew who shows up on her doorstep "under the influence". But Sladen is already nineteen, and his father lives right down the street. Tara still has a young daughter to raise and is very hesitant to get involved in the issues of her younger brother's son. But the kid's mother walked out on him when he was just a toddler, and he hasn't seen her since. He and his father just don't connect, and his substance abuse is escalating. Despite Tara's reluctance to get involved, Sladen's issues will not go away. When she finally agrees to help him, Tara finds herself pulled into the middle of a very complicated family situation that will take all her energy, focus, and skills to navigate.
The books in this series are: Jayce Recovered?; Braking Kane; From the Valley
This series of books was written to help the author, herself, to explore the many issues surrounding Substance Use Disorder and to "shore up" her own level of compassion toward those who are most often suffering with the onset of this dis-ease: adolescents and their families. This is a book of fiction. In today's world, treatment of addictions is best done in a professional setting designed to help the addict into a successful recovery. But Ms. Dell hopes that these books will also provide insight for, and engender compassion among, those for whom this is not a personal issue, so that they may better understand their neighbors, friends, and even other family members, who are struggling.
Each book comes with Discussion Questions, both for the General Reader and for those who find themselves "in the trenches" (perhaps as counselors-in-training, family members, teachers, law enforcement, or in other capacities in the community).
May it serve the purpose.
About the Author: Laura Dell is a retired middle school teacher, living in the Hudson River Valley of New York State. She is also the single, adoptive, mother of three, now adult, children, and a grandmother to nine. Ms. Dell has devoted her life to helping young people to navigate the challenges of life, and she has a special concern for those who become involved in substance abuse. Although she has formal training in substance abuse counseling, much of Ms. Dell's personal experience in working with young people dates back to a time when treatment was not readily available for anyone, let alone the young. She reminds readers that "From the Valley" is a work of fiction, that the disease of addiction is difficult and dangerous to treat, that the pathway to recovery is unique to each person, and that treatment is best done in a professionally supervised program, specifically chosen for the client's age, gender, and type and level of use.
