Mud and Dirt is the second in Shayne Parkinson's Promises to Keep series. I give is only 1 star because even though the writing is good, it is even more depressing than the first book, something which I thought would be impossible to achieve.
Mud and Dirt begins the story of Amy's marriage to Charlie Stewart. We knew Charlie was no winner, but who could have predicted that he was a monster? Charlie is 100 times worse than Amy's stepmother. He physically, emotionally, and sexually abuses Amy. Amy has 2 boys in quick succession after giving up her daughter Ann for adoption. Amy's health declines and after a fall induces labor, her newborn infant, Alexander dies. Amy subsequently has somewhere around 6 miscarriages, if I counted correctly, the last of which was brought on by a brutal beating by Charlie. That last beating nearly killed Amy, and she finally found her will to confront Charlie. She moves into a different bedroom and tells Charlie that if ever touches her again, she will take the boys and return to her Father's house, notwithstanding her issues with her stepmother. Charlie concedes defeat on that front, but then begins to use Amy's sons as weapons against her. So even though the physical and sexual abuse have ended, the verbal and emotional abuse continue. That drama continues and one day an article is published in the newspaper about a woman in Auckland who had been taking money to arrange adoptions, but instead had been killing the babies and burying them in her yard. Amy has a little breakdown, worrying about her baby, Ann, and Amy's cousin, Lizzie, decides to find out what happened to the baby.
Again, the only reason I finished this book was because I needed a happy ending for Amy. I'm still waiting and will no doubt read the entire series, which is now becoming epic length, in order to get it. Another depressing book by Shayne Parkinson. I'll have to double up my Zoloft dosage to get out of this funk I'm in.
