Book In Review

         Kelly Simmons has written a novel called Standing Still.  It is a novel filled to the brim with all kinds of fears that a woman can have; both real and imagined. 

           A wife, a mother, a daughter who is so consummed by the fears that she faces daily that she almost forgets how to “live”.  Her life is dictated by those fears.  When one of the things she fears most happens…she sacrifices herself for one of the most basic reasons…motherly instinct. 

           A man breaks into her home…she discovers him as he is attempting to kidnap her young daughter.  She offers herself in place of her child out of a need to protect her child…at the same time…wondering if she will survive this very real threat.

            In the days to come, her heart and her mind examines her life and her priorities.  She confronts some of her fears as she almost “rests” in the captivity caused by her kidnapper. 

            Secrets from Claires past have held her hostage. She used to be a fearless writer, an insatiable reporter, a woman who was constantly on the move, a woman not willing to be tied down in life.   She has built an invisible wall all around her family.  Her husband has become distant and she no longer feels as if she knows who he is or what he wants or needs from her.  Will their marriage survive…will she survive this ordeal? 

         How is it that the kidnapper understands her better than her own husband.  He knows her likes and dislikes.  He nurtures her and he protects her from others who wish to inflict violence…and yet, he hits her.  How can they be friendly in a situation that is definately not supposed to feel safe?

              This writer, Kelly Simmons, writes as if she has lived in this woman Claire’s head for a long time.  She understands her …she has a connection to the way that the character Claire sorts through her turmoil.  I found the conversational style of writing very inclusive…i felt as if i too, could understand how a woman in Claire’s position found the kidnapping situation, almost as if it were a sabbatical from her real life…a time to reflect and a time to induce changes.  It is a good read.