One woman's story of survival from an abusive upbringing in a close-knit Mennonite community and her journey to forgiveness and reconciliation.
Marlena's childhood in Paraguay was full of contradictions. Her father was both a heroic doctor treating patients with leprosy, and an abusive parent. Her Mennonite missionary community was both a devoted tribe and a controlling society. And Marlena longed both to be accepted and to escape to somewhere new. Then she was publicly humiliated...
In Nothing Bad Between Us, follow Marlena as she takes control of her life and learns to be her authentic self, scars and imperfections included. This memoir is a story of brokenness and eventual redemption that taps into our collective yearning for healing and forgiveness.
Praise for Nothing Bad Between Us
"Riveting and spellbinding... A true story of healing, deep reflection, raw emotion, and triumph. Marlena has been able to see through her own pain in order to encourage and help bring healing to others. Highly recommended." -Misty Griffin, author of Tears of the Silenced: An Amish True Crime Memoir of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Brutal Betrayal, and Ultimate Survival
"I found enormous inspiration and encouragement in this beautifully written account. This book could have been written only by someone possessed of uncommon love, compassion, and empathy. For anyone who has been broken and is in need of healing, please put Nothing Bad Between Us at the top of your list." -Larry Dossey, MD, New York Times-bestselling author of One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters
Autorentext
Marlena Fiol, PhD, is the author of the inspiring memoir Nothing Bad Between Us. Her book is a narrative exploration of her own identity journey from a tortured and rebellious childhood as a Mennonite missionary kid on a leprosy compound to eventual reconciliation with her people and within herself. Marlena has written dozens of articles exploring the themes of loss, suffering, healing, learning, love, redemption, and reconciliation. Before becoming a writer of literary essays and blogs, she received worldwide acclaim for her work on learning and identity. This work examined how people within and around organizations make sense of who they are in relation to others, and how that sense of self can change.
Marlena and her husband Ed find both light playfulness and intense joy in their relationships with their grandchildren. They currently spend summers in lush, green Oregon and winters in sunny Arizona. You can learn more about Marlena and her work at marlenafiol.com.
Klappentext
An Incredible True Story About Family, Love and Forgiveness
"This is one of the most moving and, ultimately, hopeful books I have ever read." —Jean M. Bartunek, PhD, professor of management and organization, Boston College and former president of the Academy of Management
Finalist 2021 Eric Hoffer Award #1 New Release in Mennonite Christianity
After being publicly humiliated in front of her entire close-knit Mennonite community, Marlena Fiol didn't know how she would recover. Follow her journey from an abusive upbringing in Paraguay to escape, love, and loss in the United States and finally on to forgiveness and reconciliation.
Discover a story of healing and personal transformation. Marlena's childhood was full of contradictions. Her father was both a heroic doctor for people with leprosy and an abusive parent. Her Mennonite missionary community was both a devoted tribe and a controlling society. And Marlena longed to both be accepted in Paraguay and escape to somewhere new. In Nothing Bad Between Us, follow Marlena's journey as she takes control of her life and learns to be her authentic self, scars and imperfections included.
Uncover inner peace―and inner strength. Nothing Bad Between Us is a story of brokenness and eventual redemption that taps into our collective yearning for healing and forgiveness. As you read Marlena's story, you will:
- Learn how to forgive yourself and others without giving up your personal growth and self-confidence
- Discover that transformation and redemption often exist even in the most broken parts of who you are
- Find out how to stand in your power, knowing that vulnerability won't lead to your downfall, but to increasing courage, connection, and authenticity
Readers of memoirs about family, self-healing, and the strength of a woman like The Glass Castle, Love Warrior, and Leaving the Witness will be captivated by Nothing Bad Between Us.
Inhalt
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter 1: The Lord's Work
Chapter 2: 11,187 Miles by Volvo
Chapter 3: A Child's Be-Longing
Chapter 4: Magical Holidays
Chapter 5: Asunción
Chapter 6: Tasting the Forbidden Fruit
Chapter 7: Disowned
Chapter 8: My Escape
Chapter 9: The Return
Chapter 10: Safe and Numb
Chapter 11: Keeping it All Together
Chapter 12: It's Over
Chapter 13: Spinning Out of Control
Chapter 14: Picking up the Pieces
Chapter 15: Nothing Bad Between Us
Epilogue
P.S.
Acknowledgements