Fusing fact, fiction, humor, and heartbreak, Velya Jancz-Urban masterfully weaves together Acquiescence, in which betrayal, family, and secrets collide. In this insightful and poignant novel, two plot threads twine when a modern-day woman moves into a Connecticut farmhouse and accidentally discovers the colonial woman who lived there two-hundred forty years before. A grisly murder is revealed. What ensues is a shocking story of a grieving family finding the strength to overcome deep betrayal, and an intense reminder that acquiescence – the reluctant acceptance of something without protest – is vital to healing.
Woodbury, CT -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/07/2015 -- There's no way to sugarcoat it – the hardships faced by colonial women are shocking by today's standards. As the often-abused property of their husbands under the law of coverture, their lives can't be compared to the lives of modern-day women. In Acquiescence, Susannah Mathews has waited over two hundred years to tell her story to Pamina Campbell, who has unknowingly moved into Susannah's former farmhouse in Connecticut. Pamina and her family are trying to piece their lives back together after a shattering family betrayal. In this searing and heartfelt new novel by Velya Jancz-Urban, an unlikely bond develops as Pamina and Susannah discover parallel circumstances in their lives as they help each other heal.
Acquiescence is a deep and intricate exploration of the cornerstones of the human condition. The past, the present, and the forces which transcend time mix into a thought-provoking cocktail that one critic has hailed "a refreshing new twist." Revenge, anger and sorrow enrapture the reader just as they consume the characters.
Synopsis:
When Pamina Campbell learns of a murder committed over two hundred years ago in her Connecticut farmhouse in order to avenge an unforgivable crime, she accepts that she has no idea how the universe works, except that it requires acquiescence at every point. Two plot threads twine as one woman calls to another across three centuries. One story, featuring Susannah Mathews, takes place in the late 1700s, while Pamina's story is set in modern day. Pamina learns that disaster - the sort of disaster that leaves you numb on a park bench or aching for your husband to come back to you - can be a freaky thing of beauty. As Pamina and her family try to piece their lives back together in their 1770 home, little do they know that secrecy, homophobia, and a ghastly confession await.
"Few people are familiar with the word acquiescence," explains the author. "Acquiescence doesn't mean surrender – it means the reluctant acceptance of something without protest. Surrender is just another word for giving up – something people do when they come to the end of themselves. It's the white flag hoisted at the fort, on battleships, in the trenches, when all hope is lost. Acquiescence doesn't have to be grim or gloomy - it can be joyous. Pamina learns to let go of the handlebars of life and accept what is. What seemed to be her world falling apart was actually her world changing, because the world changes when we change."
Velya continues, "The book will strike an especially-powerful chord with any modern woman who may take her freedoms for granted. Susannah Mathews is an accurate portrayal of the everyday colonial goodwife – a woman who, under the law of coverture, literally had no identity. At birth, a female baby was covered by her father's identity, and then, when she married, by her husband's. Husband and wife became one – and that one was the husband."
Since its release, the book has garnered a string of rave reviews. Joanne Gollsneider comments, "WOW!! My new favorite author is Velya Jancz-Urban. I could not put this book down. From the first chapter to the last I was hooked. I had to make myself put it down when my vision started getting blurry from reading for hours. The plot, characters, insight, and everyday struggles that Velya writes about sucked me in and had me feel as if I were there. I would have never guessed the outcome of Susannah's life. This would make an awesome movie."
Katrina adds, "Can't wait to read more from Velya Jancz-Urban.This new author combines contemporary ideas within a historical context weaving a mysterious tale where life's questions are answered in the most unexpected ways! Love this book."
Acquiescence, from Second Wind Publishing, LLC, is available now: http://amzn.to/1NJdpEr
For more information, visit the book's official website: http://www.acquiescencethebook.com
About Velya Jancz-Urban
Velya Jancz-Urban and her protagonist, Pamina Campbell, have a lot in common. Both are teachers and hoodwinked Brazilian dairy farm owners, and both share a 1770 Connecticut farmhouse with a spirit woman. Velya has been married for 32 years and is the mother of two grown children. She has a few too many rescue dogs and cats, is happiest with a fresh stack of library books, loves thrift shops, and is passionate about alternative medicine. Her entertainingly-informative presentation, The Not-So-Good Life of the Colonial Goodwife, is a result of the research completed for this novel.