Abalone

One woman’s courageous journey through relationship abuse

by J.G. MacLeod

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J.G. MacLeod’s provocative first novel explores the topic of relationship violence with honesty and grit. Controversial and insightful, Ms. MacLeod delves into the complexity of abuse and describes its impact on the characters in her story.

Eighteen-year-old Liz is in her final year of high school when she meets James Macewan, an older student who is struggling academically and wrestling with his own demons. What begins as a simple tutoring assignment soon grows into her first dating relationship. Liz initially enjoys the excitement of being with James, but it does not take long before she cannot recognize who she is as an individual anymore. As James’s own life begins to unravel he compensates by attempting to control every aspect of Liz’s existence. The situation eventually dissolves into a tale of violence and dehumanization that affects the characters’ lives forever.

J.G. MacLeod describes the fear and uncertainty that often come with the cycle of violence and allows readers to journey alongside Liz as she attempts to confront her abuser and heal from trauma.

The author understands that the description of abuse can be triggering for some people, so she wishes to inform potential readers that the content in Abalone can be graphic at times. Please be aware of this before ordering your copy.

A Word from the Author

Abalone is my debut novel and the product of a 15-year journey of trauma and healing. Started just after I finished university and left untouched during the tumultuous years of my own marriage, Abalone was finally completed after my divorce. In addition to my own personal experience with domestic violence, I interviewed many women at a local women’s advocacy centre. Hearing how many women have been victims of emotional, verbal, physical and sexual abuse within a relationship was overwhelming to discover, but it also inspired me to finish crafting my novel and publish it so that others might find closure.

Abalone is set in the small northern town of Abalone Lake, an environment characterized by its bleak weather and poor economic prospects. The story begins as Liz is about to enter her final year of high school, but due to a renovation at her own secondary school she is forced to begin all over again at a new one. This is where she meets James Macewan, an older student who is struggling academically and personally, as he copes with the effects of his mother’s addiction and abuse. Liz’s father is a loving but absent parent whose own depression and aloofness makes being with James even more welcome. Liz finds it thrilling when she starts to date him. James is her first boyfriend and his attention is flattering at first. Liz finds that her relationship with James quickly erodes, however, as he begins to control every aspect of her existence.

Liz makes many sacrifices for James but nothing seems to satisfy him, not even leaving Abalone Lake with him in the middle of her senior year. The story details the escalation of violence and its devastating impact on Liz’s mental and physical health. If this was the entire tale, then it would be as bleak as Abalone Lake; fortunately, Liz meets a number of people who come into her life and offer advice, encouragement and the promise of healing if only she can listen to the voice in the back of her head telling her that it is time to walk away.

(J.G. MacLeod, August 2018)