ISBN: 0974764477

The following review was contributed by:  E.Dian Moore &  To read more about Dian Moore’s reviews click HERE

To read Dian's Interview with the Author  CLICK HERE

Monsters are real. Janice Romney Farnsworth lived with one for fifteen years and bore six children for him. A devout Mormon, Farnsworth believed in the sanctity of marriage, of being a submissive wife and honoring her husband. But what she didn't understand was why her husband repeatedly beat her, demeaned her, turned her children against her, convinced others she was mentally ill and a danger to her children, and raped her.

Faced with this ongoing horror, Farnsworth turned to her Church for help. She was advised to go back and be a better wife, while her batterer enjoyed the full benefits of church membership.

Poignant and eye opening, Beneath Wings of an Angel, is a fascinating look inside the mind of a woman who became a victim of domestic violence. Her nightmare, told in her own voice, complete with her own thoughts of no self-worth so she must deserve it, and the downward spiral of her life, physically and mentally is torment to watch. But it also inspires understanding and a longing to reach out.

Farnsworth has brought forth a look inside the terror of prolonged domestic violence that helps the outside world understand why a woman would stay and submit to the lies and blows of an abuser. She also tells, without excuse, the damage an abusive home heaps upon the children of that home.

Anger, disbelief, understanding, empathy, and rejoicing – all are emotions Farnsworth's story brings about in the reader as the reader experiences the writer's life.

Farnsworth found her path to healing, but only after experiencing the worst that can be dealt.

"During those awful days, I felt like yesterday's trash, and for the most part, really didn't care. I don't know how others coped, but I faced each day with a tear-stained face too tired to take care of myself, emotionally drained and obsessed with revenge."

When Farnsworth was finally able to escape her abusive husband, she then faced trouble with the courts and the danger of having her children taken from her. Her children suffered dreadfully at the hands of their father – not only physically, but emotionally. Today, Farnsworth is still praying for her children's healing.

Beneath Wings of an Angel is unique in several ways – it gives a glimpse inside the Mormon religion and tradition; it chronicles fifteen years of abuse, and more importantly, why she stayed; it also offers hope as Farnsworth details her therapy, a new love that is not abusive, a deeper spiritual awakening and her acknowledgment of the necessity of the continuance of the journey.

Abuse knows no class, race or religion – this book is a stepping stone to freedom from abuse, for counselors and pastors to understand the dynamics of abuse and the need for the Church to be proactive and provide safety for women under attack.