#AuthenticityAlways

The Pebble in the Pond: A Story of Stuarts Landing by Suzanne S. Groves left me searching for the right words to capture its uniqueness and deep sense of rightness, especially in a world that often feels devoid of compassion, empathy, or love. Miriam has just suffered a devastating loss, the death of her only living relative, her grandfather. Soon after, she and her husband, George, are forced to give up their business. In the midst of this, she recalls her grandfather’s final words, urging her to go to Stuarts Landing, and is haunted by the cryptic message he left on his deathbed. Stuarts Landing is unlike anything that Miriam has ever experienced. Social hierarchies are rigid, and outsiders are kept at arm’s length in a clique-like atmosphere where subtle judgments and digs are a daily routine. Then Miriam meets Rose and Iris, and her life takes a dramatic turn. While there is a glimmer of finding belonging and purpose, will the secluded world of Stuarts Landing find a way to shut her out?

In The Pebble in the Pond, Suzanne S. Groves creates a compelling array of characters who gradually and carefully reveal the many layers of Miriam’s personality. Throughout the story, facets of her character continue to unfold, making her authentic and deeply complex. It's like watching a friend slowly bloom and grow. Just when you think you finally understand her, she reveals something delightful and unexpectedly new, prompting you to quietly wonder. 

Groves vividly depicts what life was like living in the 1920s, especially for unwed women facing socially compromising situations, an era when such circumstances were met with shame, silence, and exile. Through this story, the author explores the universal human desire to fit in, avoid rejection, and feel safe within a community, even if it requires suppressing parts of oneself. One thing that struck me is that it’s not always who you are, it’s what you reflect or stir in others that they fear or envy. Ultimately, this story inspires and explores what it truly means to come home to yourself and find a place where you belong. I highly recommend this book to readers who love wholesome narratives that quietly unfold while leaving a lasting impression. 

-- Maalin Ogaja for Readers' Favorite

What I loved most about this book is that all the scheming and backstabbing come to naught as the karmic forces propel the plot toward a very satisfying conclusion. A wonderful exploration of the impact of cultural change on an entrenched social hierarchy. -- Deb Heim, co-author of Descartes’ Demon and the Spirit Song series

A stunning debut novel that reads like a love letter to resilience and second chances.” KJ Fieler, author of Shadow Runner and the upcoming Shadow Hunter.

An instant Southern classic in the tradition of Steel Magnolias. -- Del Blackwater, author of Dead Egyptians

First, let’s get this straight: Groves is a warrior. Yes, there is heartbreak and emotional abuse as she shares her life-long journey to understand what happened to her, to heal, and finally claim her power. But there is also triumph and bravery. Maybe, just maybe, the courage she shows in telling her story will inspire women of similar backgrounds to stop blaming themselves. To all “good girls” struggling or realizing the truth of your experiences, this book is for you. It’s not your fault; it never was.  

-- KJ Fieler

You'll See: A Story of Narcissistic Abuse, Survival and My Journey to Understand
is a raw, wrenching memoir so powerful that I couldn't look away. The author's father's struggles with mental health and addiction along with her mother's inability to protect her daughter created a tempest that deprived Suzanne Groves of a happy, peaceful childhood as well as many years of adulthood. The detail of the author's experiences and the depth of emotion she provides go deep, and I ached and cheered for her, wishing some adult would have noticed and stepped in to help. The author's courage is palpable as she provides the reader with knowledge about this often covert trauma while at the same time offering encouragement and hope to those looking for a way out. I've never read a memoir like this one, and I hope it reaches others who have had similar experiences. In addition, it will open the eyes of those of us who need to understand how narcissistic abuse occurs so we can reach out to children (and adults) who may be so entangled in it that they can't speak up for themselves. 

-- Kimberly

From the first pages of heart-wrenching narrative, from the good girl rewards and tortuous retractions, impossible standards, nightly cocktails, discounted painful bodily injury, to a father’s dalliances, and mother’s branching out to attend to herself at college, I know I’m in for a visceral read. An un-watered down gut-churning experience. What surprised me was how much I got into this memoir, told in a way reminiscent of how I felt reading Christina Crawford’s “Mommy Dearest”. Different scenes but same parental oppression as I navigate through vignettes of bulimia, unsettling talk of divorce, family meetings and militaristic conformity, maternal alcoholic breakdowns and projection onto her daughter, physical abuse, invalidation over college achievements, etc. Page after page, I’m drawn into this child’s history, told by the woman, the author, who miraculous came to piece together her past to not only help herself understand but us the reader as well. A powerful tome, this memoir doesn’t just narrate the author’s dive into her shadow past but shines a light on a way out. It is a mirror reflecting my own experience dealing with a malignant narcissist. In the end, this well-written, no holds barred, memoir paved the way for an view into my own shadow, and that, as the author beautifully writes, is the road to peace. A remarkable book I won’t forget for a long time to come. -- Luv2Read

It is nearly impossible to impress upon observers the full experience of having grown up in an emotionally abusive family. Suzanne Groves succeeds in piecing the broken tiles of incidents into a mosaic, illustrating the full experience in bright technicolor. Each story, if told by itself, might not be proof of what she endured under the thumb of her narcissistic father, but together, the stories bring the full arc of her life into focus. The subtle emotional abuse children experience growing up is often overlooked or dismissed, but it sticks with them well into their adulthood long after the parent has passed away. With a hand that never shakes and a voice that never wavers, Groves holds a light up to her memories and courageously recounts her troubled relationship with her father.

She shows us that it is possible to find healing, confidence, and peace. Even when dark clouds cast shadows on the delicate edges of our lives, finding our own self-worth and inner love is possible and vital. A must read for anyone who has ever questioned their childhood: “was this normal?” 

-- Lisa Febre

You'll See is a triumphant account of the author's struggles with a narcissistic parent, and a thorough meditation on all that entailed - the behaviors, the consequences, and the ripples of abuse inherent in such behavior. Recommended reading for any reader grappling with a narcissist in their own life, or for any reader who seeks to understand what these behaviors look like and how they affect the lives of everyone around them. Above all else, You'll See is a success story. The author not only recognized the patterns of abuse, but rose above them, and even sympathized with them. While processing the pain of her past and present circumstances, the author demonstrates a strength and moral compassion that is not always a given in similar family dynamics. A clear and in-depth picture of what breaking the cycle of abuse actually looks like in real time. Highly recommend. -- Vasalisa

I picked this book to enrich my skills as a therapist. It ended up helping me with my past issues and baggage. Thanks for the honesty and catharsis you provided. -- Kathiecakes

As she unravels her journey of survival and understanding, I found myself empathizing with her struggles and reflecting on the hidden scars left by emotional abuse with poignant moments of healing and reflection that will stay with me for a long time. An uplifting and informative book. 

A poignant memoir by Suzanne Groves that chronicles her journey of enduring and overcoming the challenges of growing up with a narcissistic father, showcasing her resilience and quest for understanding amidst familial turmoil.