Kellee Stone
Two factors motivate this unusually inspiring novel based on the true life of Ann Deane Teal. The first one being the desperation and despair that this ’girl next door’ felt. The other is her need for survival. Devastating would describe most of the men in her life. Her father and three husbands cause immense turmoil that is totally unbelievable for one person to endure. Mental and physical abuse, murder and drug rings weave an intriguing tale. After the murders of her two young children and the ensuing threats on her life by her psychopathic husband, she is placed in a ’mini witness protection program’ where the FBI encourages her to buy a pistol and trains her to ’shoot to kill.’ Then, a miracle happened. Ann Deane thought for the first time that she had died and gone to heaven. She had never been happier in her life. God had certainly answered her prayers this time. Enter Charlie - who turned out to be the love of her life. But all good things come with baggage - his two grown children, Warren and Maria, who in the next twenty years never ceased to make her life miserable at times. Thank God she had her daughter, Mary Kate, by her side. Two rare life-threatening brain surgeries are chief among her many never ending health problems. Her unshakable faith in God and her sheer will in the face of adversity is the cornerstone of this book. You share her heartaches, hopes, and her dreams as she struggles to overcome these obstacles. This is probably the most inspirational story of the century and a must read for everyone.
