Kate Genovese author book reviews

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Local author publishes third book
By Margaret Smith

Woburn, MA - For author Kate Genovese, it’s all about the story.

“I have just got so much going on in my head,” said the Woburn resident and registered nurse, who has recently published a third novel, “Two Weeks Since My Last Confession,” with Libros International.

The book tells of a young girl, Molly O’Brien, who becomes a catalyst for the unleashing of pent-up family secrets – among them, sexual abuse -- amid social upheaval in the 1960s and 1970s.

Raised in a conservative family, Molly seems an unlikely candidate for the tragedy that besets her life, including a baby she’s compelled to give up for adoption, and her struggle to break free of addiction to heroin.

“Molly’s story is not my story, but I could relate to Molly,” said Genovese, who said she has had her own battles with substance abuse and said they were one source of inspiration for the novel.

Asked about the title of the book, Genovese said, “I was brought up Catholic…my mother would make us go to Confession,” she said, referring to a ritual in which a church member confides transgressions to a priest in order to receive forgiveness.

In the O’Brien clan of her imaginings, such rituals represent a sense of order, but despite their best efforts to embody respectability in the community, darker truths lurk beneath, Genovese said. “The O’Briens are very religious, so the church was very important, especially to Mrs. O’Brien…she brought up her kids overly strict, to the point where they ran.”

Another pivotal character is Molly’s brother Sean, a lynchpin in the revelations that unfold.

In her own personal life, and in her experiences as a nurse, Genovese, who currently works for the Visiting Nurses Association in Arlington, finds a wealth of situations and characters for her literary muse.

But writing is not something that came as an early impulse, but later, in her adult life.

“I started to write in my 30s,” Genovese said. “I did articles in the paper, and for nursing magazines. I went back to school, so I had to write for school.”

Observing Genovese’s flair for story telling, a patient in 1998 said simply, “Why don’t you write a book?”

When her mother died, cleaning out her mother’s attic prompted memories and ideas, she said.

Her first two books, “Thirty Years in September: A Nurse’s Story,” and “Loving Joe Gallucci: Love And Life with Hepatitis C,” like her latest, are inspired in part by life experiences of her own and those of the people she has met in her travels, and tell of loss and a search for purpose.

A writer’s life
Many writers have written about writing – its joys and exasperations – as well as the habits of writers, which run from the fastidious to the chaotic.

Genovese said, “I go in spurts. When I am really inspired to write, I write every day. I write for a couple of hours before I go to work, and then I go for months not writing.”

But there is one subject all writers agree on: the necessary evil of deadlines. Laughing, Genovese said, “When I am editing, that is a different story, because then I have to find the time.”

And then there is the need to get away from the keyboard and go out to share one’s works with the public.

‘They are not alone’
Genovese, who has done several book-signings and readings, said she’s gratified by readers’ responses, and said many readers have sent her e-mails expressing appreciation for her willingness to address painful topics, including sexual abuse and family violence.

“A couple of people have said, it was fiction, but it was true to life for them. It helped them to heal,” Genovese said. In particular, her second book, “Loving Joe Gallucci,” drew a strong response from those battling Hepatitis C or who have loved ones stricken with the disease.

“It helps people to realize that they are not alone,” she said.

Margaret Smith is Arts and Calendar editor for Community Newspaper Company’s northwest unit.

From October 1951 through October 1985, readers follow the lives of the O’Brien family in Two Weeks Since My Last Confession by Kate Genovese. John O’Brien, the respected politician, and Marie, his fanatically religious wife, have eight children and, by worldly standards, should have been the happy, perfect family. After all, they appeared to have it all—or did they?

In doing this review I am going to concentrate mainly on the main character, Maureen Bridget O’Brien, whose name was immediately shortened to “Molly” by her father who wanted her named after her great-grandmother. Molly is the human thread that intricately weaves the story of this family onto written pages—ones that depict a very messed-up family. Today a psychologist would use the word “dysfunctional” to describe this unit of ten.

Molly, the next to the youngest child, is the defiant one with a unique and strong personality whose impertinent acts often get her into trouble, especially with her mother. Mrs. O’Brien insists that her daughter go to confession every two weeks. Molly thinks this is stupid and says that she is tempted to commit a mortal sin to see how many Hail Marys and Our Fathers the priest would give her. Much later in life Molly realizes that her mother never talked about God’s endless love; instead, she continually tried to instill the fear of God in her children. It all seemed ritualistic and silly to Molly’s rebellious nature which landed her in a Catholic school for girls during her freshman year of high school.

At the age of fourteen, Molly meets seventeen-year-old Bobby Angelo, a young good-looking boy, and her life changes forever. Very popular, he has a reputation as far as “loving and leaving” girls; however, Molly is determined that she isn’t going to be one of those whom he makes love to and forgets. They are very close—so close that she tells him about her older brother Sean who had molested her. Though her father had believed her and punished this son, her mother had always downplayed the accusation, telling her that she was exaggerating the situation. Even when Molly confronted her with the fact that he had also tried to do sexual things with two of her older sisters, her mother remained in denial. Sean had always been very special to Mrs. O’Brien; it seemed he could do nothing wrong in her eyes.

Though Bobby wanted sex, Molly held out for over a year, wanting to be sure that she was ready and that he truly cared about her. And he did. She was beautiful, extremely mature for her age, witty, and a true challenge. It wasn’t long until he told her that he loved her and was in their relationship for the long haul, promising her that he’d marry her in four years when he finished college. He had a scholarship to Holy Trinity College, and before he left, they finally did have sex. The two of them truly believed that their love would last forever. Each time they were together, the bond between them became stronger. But when she became pregnant, everything changed; she rejected his request for her to have an abortion. Though she went away and had the baby, she was forced by her prominent family into giving up her daughter for adoption. Bobby, after only one year of college, had accepted an offer by the New York Mets to play professional baseball. He wanted her but not the baby, while she wanted both the baby and his father. As it turned out, the words “long haul” taunted her memory as Bobby disappeared from her life.

While in college, Molly’s brother Sean got involved with drugs—even selling them—but his father used his position as a senator to fix it so he wouldn’t have a police record. It was then Sean entered into the army and, despite his father’s wishes, joined the 82nd Airborne and went to Viet Nam. He fell in love with a Vietnamese woman, and she had his son. But once he was home, he was trapped into marrying a woman he didn’t love, and taking a job he didn’t want. After seeing a psychologist, his life gradually changed as he made up his mind to be his own person, instead of allowing his father to dictate his life. When he discovered that a torturing dream was indeed reality, it was the beginning of an inward emotional healing that involved sexual abuse. He also became a “rebel with a cause” as a Viet Nam veteran who was against the war.

Molly’s life goes on a downward spiral as she sinks further and further into the world of drugs and addiction. She does whatever is necessary, including selling her body, in order to support her heroin habit. How and why does this happen? Was it the fact that her brother molested her? Was it because her parents dictated orders more than they listened? Was it because she had lost the love of Bobby and been forced to give up her daughter? Perhaps it was all of these things and more. I do know that the journey is so vividly portrayed that I felt the pain of traveling it with her.

This riveting book, though fiction, presents readers with a true picture of the perils of drug addiction, incest, physical and sexual abuse, and the dark secrets of a family. But it is also a story of hope and restoration. The author includes valuable resources in regard to childhood sexual abuse and incest that many will find useful. The book is definitely a “must read” and is recommended for all adults.

Marcy Ragucci, author of Whimsical Wonderings, publisher, Big Apple Press, and freelance writer, Daily Times Chronicle.

“A Great storyteller.” Genovese grabs the reader into the family saga of the O’Brien’ family- capturing the changes in the social and domestic landscape of the last 25 years.
TWO WEEKS SINCE MY LAST CONFESSION enables the reader to see where children-turned-adults find their voices and say things that weren’t allowed to be said in past generations.
Dr. Richard Darling
Author of Coma Life
CEO of the Fair Foundation
www.FAIRFoundation.org

The Irish-American O'Briens seem to be blessed with good fortune; Dad is a popular politician and Mom is a religious women, devoted to her family. But under the surface there is a lot to cover up, including addiction and sexual abuse.

Kate Genovese has done a masterful job with this family saga. There are no good guys or bad guys here, just people struggling in times when mores are changing in American society. The complex characters are all extremely well-drawn, but without a doubt you will grow to love Molly O'Brien.

Andrea Cleghorn, LCSW, is the author of Life in Lexington and Rosie's Place: Offering Women Shelter and Hope.