About the book
Patience Kelly grows up in a devout Christian family in small-town Indiana, surrounded by love. She also carries a secret her mind has locked away to protect her: years of abuse at the hands of her grandfather.
When she leaves for college, Patience believes she's finally free. Instead she finds a controlling boyfriend, a devastating assault, and a pastor who blames her instead of believing her. The fallout sends her spiraling into addiction and self-destruction, until a suicide attempt nearly ends her life.
What comes after is the hardest part. With dedicated therapists, a family that refuses to give up on her, and a patient man who loves her exactly as she is, Patience begins to face the trauma she remembers and the trauma she forgot.
Trials of Patience doesn't pretend survival is pretty. It's a story about how trauma shapes us, the courage it takes to heal, faith lost and found again in unexpected forms, and the power of being truly seen and loved. Sometimes a trial isn't the end of the story. It's where the story finally begins.
