What are you Reading Now?

By Leslie Kain

In the middle of stressful times, do you read escapist novels? Or stories with characters you
can’t stop thinking about, stories that pull you in and won’t let you go?
In 2021, a book critic declared the “trauma plot” was dead, suggesting it’s a trope that reduces
characters to “a set of symptoms”.

Yet since then, scores of best-selling, award-winning novels of various genres have featured
protagonists who’ve experienced past trauma – complex characters whose journey carves an
escape route beyond their trauma. Like these titles – how many have you read?

 My Dark Vanessa, Kate Elizabeth Russell; LitFic/PsychFic
 A House of Remembering, Susannah Wood; YA/Romance
 The Push, Ashley Audrain; LitFic/PsychThriller
 Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng; Thriller/Dystopian
 Sea of Tranquility, Emily St. John Mandel; SciFi
 Lessons, Ian McEwan; LitFic, Coming-of-Age
 Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver; HistFic/Coming-of-Age
 The Last House on Needless Street, Catriona Ward; Horror
 The Guest, Emma Cline; PsychFic
 Yerba Buena, Nina Lacour; LitFic/Romance
 How High We Go in the Dark, Sequoia Nagamatsu; LitFic/SciFi
 The Candy House, Jennifer Egan; LitFic/PsychFic
 The School for Good Mothers, Jessamine Chan; SciFi/Dystopian
 Beautiful World, Where Are You, Sally Rooney; LitFic/Coming-of-Age

I believe that stories are shaped by the characters in them — the complex personas that inhabit
the life, the world, the challenges, and the joys in the story. As an author, although I may
initiate a story idea and populate it with ‘actors’, they invariably reveal their own ideas! They
disclose their backstory and idiosyncrasies, invent twists and subplots, and then I’m left to clean
up the mess — help them in their journey over obstacles, to their goal. Which ideally involves
the character’s transformation. (Reminds me of the years I spent as a therapist.)

Author and screenwriter S.C. Farrow notes that “trauma fiction requires a certain level of
emotional vulnerability and empathy, as readers are invited to journey along with characters.”
In doing so, readers become more engaged with the characters, and uniquely invested in their
story, well beyond the plot.

Stories in the romance genre always end in ‘Happy Ever After.’ Which feels good for the reader.
In the moment. Until we realize that ‘Happy For Now’ is probably more likely, given the complexity of life, and human nature.

In Secrets In The Mirror, Gavin endures bullying by his father, narcissistic abuse from his twin,
and tragedies in his family. Readers have told me how much they empathize with Gavin and
want him to rise above all that. In What Lies Buried, we learn that Gavin’s past has left indelible
emotional scars and that his beloved wife (who has unearthed buried secrets of her own), child
and longtime friends are all pulling for him in his journey to recovery. Readers have begged me to ensure that Gavin, Katie and little Maggie all achieve wellness in Power Play, the last of the
DiMasi Family Trilogy (early 2026). But that’s ultimately up to the characters…

I’m working on another new novel that’s standalone (unless my character insists on a sequel). It
began as a simple mystery inspired by something that happened to a friend of mine. But the
character in that story completely took over and has revealed many layers, identities and lives.
And now the story has become a complex deeply psychological drama with a reluctant romance
subplot. With the quote below preceding it, and a ‘Happy-For-Now’ ending…

“You won’t get free of it, but you won’t die of it. You won’t feel it every minute,
but you won’t spend many days without it. And you’ll learn some tricks to dull it
or banish it, trying not to end up destroying what you incurred this pain to get.”
— Alice Munro, from ‘‘The Children Stay’ in “The Love of a Good Woman”

WHAT LIES BURIED

“A dramatic story about taking the hardest steps forward to confront the scars of our past. A thought-provoking sequel that dives deep into the way our histories shape us.” ― 5 Stars from Indies Today

What Lies Buried…doesn’t stay buried.

Scarred by a lifetime of emotional abuse and traumatic violence, Gavin battles the triggers of Complex PTSD. His wife Katie is determined to support him despite the strain of his unpredictable reactions on their marriage.

But returning to Boston to settle his father’s estate reactivates Gavin’s childhood scars, and more triggers. Then when he uncovers his family’s mob history, his volatile reactions put him in the crosshairs of dangerous people. Worried for his safety, Katie packs up their toddler and joins him. While there, she begins sorting through her late parents’ keepsakes, finding evidence of the artistic talent she abandoned after her father died, when she became child caregiver to her disabled mother. Eager to revive her unfulfilled past, Katie copes with Gavin’s increasingly unstable behavior through her painting and new friendships that encourage her journey to self-discovery.

As Gavin resists treatment and goes off the rails, secrets of his family’s past threaten them all. The generational dysfunction in Kain’s award-winning Secrets In The Mirror continues, as Katie faces her own emotional wounds and must choose between saving her marriage or saving their child…and herself.

“An emotional family saga exploring Complex PTSD and childhood trauma blending psychological suspense with hard-won emotional breakthroughs. A fast-paced contemporary thriller that delves with insight into themes of mental health [with] jolting plot twists.” ― All-A’s from BookLife

“Kain goes beyond traditional thriller elements, offering a nuanced exploration of personal trauma and family dynamics. Kain’s style is notable for its depth and psychological insight [with] rich storytelling marked by well-developed characters, providing a thoughtful reading experience. The dual perspectives in the narrative structure…adds depth and complexity, escalating tension. A compelling read.”― 5 Stars from Literary Titan

“This propulsive mind-bending thriller about how we deal with guilt and psychological trauma… casts a brilliant spotlight on unfolding events, propelling the action forward with great momentum. With themes of paternal transgressions, murder, and kidnapping, accompanied by a constant sense of anticipation, this captivating narrative will effortlessly consume your attention … a truly exceptional book.” ― Review from Authors Reading

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing