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How to Knock a Bravebird from Her Perch

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Poignantly exploring the choices that contemporary women must face and the consequences of domestic abuse, this family saga opens as Belinda "Pecan" Morrow begins to suspect that getting married before the conclusion of her senior year in high school—and after her father's sudden death—was a huge mistake. With her baby girl, she packs up her few belongings and attempts to leave her husband, Ricky, the up-and-coming boxing sensation from Mississippi. But when Ricky catches up to her, she learns that he has no qualms about using his fists outside of the ring. As years rolls by, Pecan does her best to protect herself and her four daughters physically and emotionally from the tornado that is Ricky, but the marriage comes to a dramatic end when his violent focus turns to the girls. She quickly finds out that leaving Ricky is only the beginning; he doesn't need to live under the same roof to wreak havoc in her life.

HER ONLY MISTAKE WAS MARRYING THE WRONG MAN.

Belinda comes of age in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in the 1970. Her life is simple until Ricky Morrow blows into town. Ricky wastes no time making his intentions known but her father won't have it and puts a stop to their budding romance.

Then fate steps in. Belinda suddenly finds herself orphaned and alone. Ricky proposes marriage and without a second thought she agrees.

The new couple moves north to Chicago and in record time Belinda becomes a housewife and mother. Before long she begins to doubt the choices she's made. But it's too late. Ricky would rather see her dead than let her leave. Scared for her life, Belinda hunkers down in this marriage of convenience as the babies and fists keep coming.

Inspired by a true story.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 30, 2014
      When Pecan's doting father dies unexpectedly, she marries a boxer named Ricky Morrow and becomes pregnant almost immediately. Unfortunately for Pecan, things go from bad to worse: Ricky becomes violent, and she falls into a cycle of pregnancy and physical abuse. But when Pecan meets another man and tries to extricate herself from her marriage, she's forced to fight for her life and the lives of her children. From the start of Simmons's novel, readers will empathize with Pecan's struggles. While the author's prose is solid, the narrative is somewhat predictable. The plot and eventual outcome of the novel will be obvious to many readers from the beginning. And this predictability will likely take readers out of the story.

    • Library Journal

      October 15, 2016

      Recently orphaned and still grieving the death of her father, 17-year-old Pecan is promised a happy life as Mrs. Ricky Morrow and moves to Chicago so that her new husband can realize his boxing aspirations. Those vows to love and cherish seem to disappear as Ricky's true colors surface, revealing his controlling and aggressive nature. Suddenly years have gone by--and many daughters have been born--and Pecan can find no escape from her oppressor. Simmons deftly describes domestic violence in all its subtleties, laying bare the cycle of manipulation and the despair that reverberates through the Morrow girls. VERDICT Though tragic, Pecan's story is also one of strength and courage that will move readers. Simmons's Gold Medal for Multicultural Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards is earned in this harrowing and gripping tale. [See "A Good Beginning," ow.ly/T4dA304qLIi.]--Kate DiGirolomo, Library Journal

      Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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