Story Of Lin #3

Beg dicampak ke atas kerusi lalu pintu bilik dihempas kuat. Butang baju kemeja dibuka menggunakan sebelah tangan manakala sebelah lagi menarik tie yang telah mengurai macam penganggur cari kerja. Tudung yang tadi kemas didalam kemeja ditarik perlahan melepasi kepala dan badan dihempas di atas katil. Remote controller dicapai. Suhu diturunkan dan udara sejuk mula menyapa badan.
Sejuknya..
Hari ni takda aktiviti koko jadi waktu balik sekolah awal namun bahana kena kejar anjing yang ingat diri ni tulang menguji kesabaran. Kalau masuk pertandingan berlari 300meter sah dapat nombor satu!
Dan yang menambah balanya apabila...


"Sis" Mamat komunis mana yang tegur aku ni..
"Sis, your diary" seorang mamat dengan rambut landak  depan aku tersenyum sambil menghulur sebuah buku berkulit hijau pucuk pisang.
Kepala mula mencerna..
That's my..!!
Laju je buku tu disambar.
"Hari tu kau duduk depan aku. Masa kau bangun buku ni jatuh aku ingat nak biar tapi bila tengok buku tu macam diary aku pun ambil lah takut ada orang baca dan.." yang tiba-tiba ayat bernoktah situ kenapa? Lagipun ada orang tanya ke? "best juga kalau dapat baca diary orang."
Laju je mamat tu kena jeling sedas punya
"Kau baca?!" dan mamat tu hanya tersengih.
"Arghh!!!!" jerit aku tatkala bas betul-betul berhenti depan taman permainan. Dan saat aku melintasi mamat komunis tu, buku log setebal 4 inci dilibas sekuat hati.
Padan lah kau!


Dan sekarang...
Sebelah tangan memicit kepala yang berdeyut manakala sebelah lagi meraba almari yang berada di sudut bilik.
"Ya Allah" rintihnya
"Mana ni.." Tangan masih lagi meraba mencari botol kecil dan mulutnya terkumat-kumit menyebut nama Allah
"Alhamdulillah" tutur kecilnya tatkala apa yang dicari ditemui. Sepantas kilat tangannya membuka penutup botol. Tablet colour pink-red sebanyak dua biji dibawa ke mulut.
I've get enough.

Story Of Lin #2

"Assalamualaikum!!"
"Kak Yati buka pintu!"
"Ya Allah budak ni. Suka sangat berlari balik rumah. Kene kejar dengan harimau ke? Atau nak buat logik sikit, kena kejar dengan lembu ke?" Matanya masih tak lepas memandang Lin.
"Dah eh, saje je kak. angin perempuan kan suka berlari.."
"Ha? Ada pula cenggitu. dari mana belajar tu? Tengah panas cenggini ada pulak saje je. Ada orang isap gam tunggu Lin dekat depan bus stop ke?"

Story Of Lin #1

Dadanya turun naik menahan lelah manakala kakinya masih pantas berlari mencari tempat persembunyian. Matanya yang dari tadi berpaling kebelakang sekaligus menyebabkan Lin tidak peka apa yang berada di hadapannya.
            “Arghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!” Gamat satu taman dengan jeritan Lin yang bagaikan puntianak hilang anak. Lin masih lagi terkial-kial bangun mencari daratan. Bahana tersepak batu lalu terjadinya ‘drama’ jatuh  bergolek-golek masuk sungai! Habis satu badan basah! Nasib baik beg dah tertanggal masa bergolek-golek tadi. Dan Lin langsung tak sedar akan kewujudan sungai tersebut yang terletak di balik berlukar. Jauh di seberang sana terlihat kelibat lelaki sedang bergelak sakan mentertawakannya. “Gila punya anjing kejar orang! Tahulah kita ni lawa! Lelaki-lelaki tadi pun sama! Rasa macam nak lumur muka dengan lumpur ni je tak nak bagi sesiapa kenal!” Malu! Perasaan tu je yang terlintas di mindanya.

            Hari ni balik sekolah naik bas dan bas hanya memberhentikannya di seberang jalan sebelum masuk ke Taman Damai. Kebiasaannya Abah yang ambil tapi disebabkan Abahnya yang sibuk mengalahkan menteri, terpaksalah naik bas buruk tu. Ketika dalam perjalanan, tali kasutnya terlerai dan daripada nak jatuh tersembam baik dia ikat kembali tali kasutnya. Kebetulan dia berhenti di depan rumah banglo Atok Cheng, mungkin disebabkan itulah anjing belaan Atok Cheng menganggap Lin cuba menceroboh rumah tuan rumah itu lalu dikejarnya Lin sampai mangsanya jatuh ke dalam sungai. “Ingat rumah tuan dia je besar? Siap kau anjing, hari ni hari kau, esok lusa aku suruh kera aku cakar muka kau!” Bebel Lin.

            Dengan langkahnya yang berat akibat baju yang basah kuyup, dia menapak ke rumahnya yang selang beberapa rumah dengan banglo Atok Cheng. Sesampainya di depan rumah, laju je tangannya menekan butang loceng . “Kak Adah! Lin ni! Bukalah pintu pagar!” Teriaknya.

            “Woi makcik! Tak payah lah terjerit-jerit macam tu. Kau ingat kau sorang je ada suara?”

            Min berpaling ke kiri.Zailin. Khairul Zailin. Sama umur dengan Lin tapi tak pernah sebulu dengannya.

            “ Kau dapat mandat dari mana panggil aku makcik?” Dengan suara nyaringnya Lin membalas kata-kata Zailin. Geram.

3 of the Best Sunscreens for the Face

The sun is finally in London Town so its time to step up the sunscreen. Everyone mocks my addiction to SPF when I'm slathering it on it the park next to sun-kissed baking babes, but I can't stress how important it is to protect the face! I'll use any old Boots/ Superdrug lotion on my body, but will always invest in the face; here are my pick of sun essentials that you need to get.


 1. Supergoop City Suncreen Serum SPF30+* - the every day sunscreen
£35.00 from Space NK

 
I was very excited indeed to discover Supergoop. I use this lightweight cream serum every day under my normal foundation. I'm usually inside most of the day (joys of an office job) but its good to know I'm protected if I ever venture to the park at lunchtime or get persuaded in to impromptu post work drinks.



 2. Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF30 - the weekend sunscreen
£25.00

 So we all know about BB cream by now. I can't vouch for others on the market, but this Clinique one does the job well. It has a tinted formula that gives more coverage than you would expect, so its a good 2 in 1 foundation/sunscreen option for the weekend; it's perfect for popping out for coffee (al fresco), darting in and out of shops or wandering around a market.


 3. Elizabeth Adren Eight Hour Cream For Face SPF50 - the sunbathing/holiday sunscreen
£23.00

I won't even dare to contemplate sitting in the sun for longer than ten minutes without factor 50 on my face. It sounds heavy duty, and indeed it is, but when the sun is at it's hottest it really is necessary! This is the sunscreen that you'll want for long park picnics and sunny holidays abroad. It's a reasonable small handbag size tube, so very handy for carrying around. The formula is surprisingly light for such a high factor, and has that distinctive eight hour cream scent. It's easily absorbed (so no chalky cheeks) and won't irritate sensitive skin.

A healthy tanned face can so easily be mimicked with bronzer and highlighter, there is absolutely no need to let your nose turn red. I thoroughly recommend that you fake it on the face, you won't regret it when you see the difference it makes to skin in the long run. I had the pleasure of trying a supersonic skin analysing machine at an event, and my face was totally free of those scary blotchy shadows- all from simply using these products above!

Have you found any other good sunscreen for face?

* PR sample

Shopping in Chelsea

My knowledge of Chelsea is limited. I may know the relationship status and movements of some of its most famous residents (Made in Chelsea addict), but when it comes to the shops, restaurants and bars I am less confident. Last week I was invited to come and sample some of Chelsea's finest at a bloggers shopping event, and what a night it was!

We began at Coco Maya, a decadent patisserie and chocolate shop on Pavilion Road. They'd put on an amazing spread, of which the highlights were sandwiches crafted from delicious rye bread, and miniature scones accompanied by fruit rich jam and clotted cream. YUM! We weren't shy and took advantage. I will definitely be revisiting for cake and tea, and also to get one of those wonderful loaves!

We were then ushered to a rickshaw, and handed a map of the shopping area. Many of the stores had stayed open late and were offering treats, so we took to the road and made our way to Dodo a jewellery store with a very conceptual interior. Unfortunately, thanks to a misbehaving iPhone, we had arrived to the event late so many of the shops were beginning to close, so finished our evening with a glass of fizz at the Saatchi Gallery.

We left with a very generous goodie bag, in which we received some great beauty gifts including an Ormonde Jayne  shower gel and a series of Liz Earle products to try. I'd forgotten just how good her polish cleanser is, and a week later my skin is glowing with the benefits! I will definitely be returning to Chelsea to visit Liz Earle on Duke of York Square and repurchasing a lovely skincare regime. Review to follow!

Review: TIGI Catwalk Session Series Salt Spray

I'm sorry but I'm obsessed with wavy hair! Here is another salt spray, beachy hair product, this time for TIGI (of Bed Head fame). TIGI Catwalk Session Series Salt Spray* comes in sleek black packaging  and the bottle is quite a generous size which perhaps harks back to the brands 'professional' inception.

I was sent the below video with the press release, and I watched it in totally awe. Take a look, it is absolutely incredible to see the amount of volume the stylist manages to produce. Inspiration for flat haired girls everywhere!

So how did I get on with it? Well the scent is delicious, a fruity concoction that hands down beats any other similar product, and the formula was non-sticky and didn't clump my hair in to rat tails which is always a bonus. BUT, try as I might, I did not manage the lofty volume boost seen in the video. Perhaps this was my lack of skill, or perhaps my lack of diffuser, but as you can see I'm much limper than the model.

Saying that, the product truly does mimic the look of seaside induced waves, ie. subtle flowing movement with a matte finish. I think this product would be amazing on light blonde locks, but used on my coloured hair it simply stripped the shine and left it looking a little dull. The realisation that red hair looks better glossy means that I may have to abandon my grunge daydreams and instead use this to add texture to up-do's. After taking this pic I created some lovely chunky Heidi braids that held all day!

* PR sample

Review: Carmex old and new!

I am never without a pot of Carmex so of course leaped at the chance to try out some of its new formulations. I was sent a selection of the above three, which included the original,  a tube of the mint version and Moisture Plus, a lipstick-esque stick. So can anything better the original?

Moisture Plus* has a pretty peach tinted formula, but lacks that menthol sensation. My lips are often as dry as salted shrivel slugs in winter (attractive) so this was not as soothing as I'd like. If your pout is in decent condition already, definitely give this a go. It adds a subtle suits-all shade that enhances natural lip colour whilst also softening. A good one for the festival handbag.

The Mint Lipbalm*? Wonderful! I think this is now a new essential for me. If the original Carmex wasn't refreshing enough, the addition of mint adds a new dimension that makes your lips positively tingle. Definitely a friend to the chapped amongst us. Bonus points for being SPF15 too.


*These were PR samples but as always my reviews are honest reflections of products

Memory#4 bustand

Assalamualaikum.
Teringat dekat sejarah.
Ya, Suddenly Sha teringat bab gaduh dengan budak bustand lah. Hoishh. Tak tahu ke cerita dia macam mana? Mai sini duduk bawah, Akak Sha nak story nih.. checheh.. 

Tahun lepas masa tu Azly lalu belakang tandas perempuan *2Arif bersebelahan dengan girls’ toilet* Lepas tu, dia bagitau Ketua pengawas sidang petang which is Izzudin and his assistant, Sabri merangkap rakan sekelas sha. Then, masa tu coincidently Sha  and Shizmyp duduk lepas kat bawah pokok depan kelas 2Arif. Lepas Izzudin suruh tu, sha terus pergi tandas with shizmyp. Pura-pura masuk tandas. And seriously, memang asap banyak gila dalam tu. Yang sha perasan, ada sorang budak kawan Ju, Ika *adik angkat sha* ada sekali. Sumpah sha terkejut. Berapa lama tu, Pikah panggil sha keluar *dah dapat nama* lah tu. Sebab sha tak pakai specs, so mana nampak. Specs pula kat kelas.   

Masa last tu masa cikgu Aizan and Tetiba pikah duk cerita fasal cuak cuak cuak takut budak budak yang dia ambil nama tu datang cari nak balas dendam. And don’t know why do earth sha langsung tak rasa takut sampailah..
Sekumpulan pelajar datang.
“Assalamualaikum!! Nak jumpa budak ni.” Sambil tunjuk kat Sha. *menyesal sha duduk tepi pintu tahun lepas.* Sha pun paling ke tepi buat muka mimik takut kat pikah. Yelah weh. Pikah and Shizmyp duk cakap jangan cari gaduh dengan budak geng bustand.. sekali dah tergaduh.. hadoy.. Tapi sah tak terlibat secara langsung pun benarnya.. eh? heeee

Cikgu Aizan bagi je walaupun sah nampak muka cikgu Aizan cam tak bagi. And sebenarnya, cikgu aizan tak mengajar pun sebab ramai takda pergi balapan petang tu.

Budak budak perempuan tu dalam 8 orang tarik sha pergi tepi. Yang Sha ingat time tu, muka pikah habis cuak dah.

Macam-macam diorang tanya sampai sha rasa macam trauma nak ingat balik. Yang Sha ingatnya, masa nak habis tu, ada geng dia baling batu kat Sha. Diorang tanya sha ke yang nak bagi nama kat cikgu? And macam-macam soalan ada. Ada yang mencarut dekat sha lah and sebagainya. Yang takleh bla nya, yang sah tau ada sorang tu girlfriend sapa entah.. tapi boyfriend dia gangster jugalah.. That’s why sepanjang “interview” tu, Sha tak banyak sangat cakap tapi just dengar walaupun kena maki hamun. Sebab yang sebenarnya bukan sha.. sha pun bukan pengawas kenapa nak jumpa sha? And sha dah cakap izzudin punya kerja..

Disebabkan kecoh sampai Cikgu Aizan nampak yang kena baling batu, cikgu pun macam marah and sha pun terus masuk. Tak sampai seminit, mata sha meleleh. Seumur hidup sah tak pernah kena maki seteruk tu tau tak.. rasa macam orang bodoh pula.. Tapi sha cuba kuatkan sebab taknak libatkan cikgu.. Tapi alih2 myra agitau cikgu for Allah sake, thanks myra syamine.. Pastu sebelum balik ada announcement budak tu kena panggil and and, ouh shit, dia lalu kelas aku and kena jelling setepek. Kbye sumpah takut. Alih2 sampai libat cikgu mad and semua cikgu Yurinaliza cakap pakwe budak tub la blab la.. Dan Shahidan tu. Masa balik tu, kat rumah Shahidan cakap jangan risau sebab backup Sahidan ramai.. Sha pun rasa lega sikit tapi cuak.. Memang masa tu dah terlintas nak tukar sekolah..

Okay. Taknak ingat dah. Kbye Assalamualaikum.

Takda life punya adik -Yati

*Entry kali ni ditulis dengan cepat dah tidak disemak. Maybe banayk kesilapan. Sorry ehh*

Assalamualaikum dear friends.. Yeah, lama tak post entry, right? Ya.. It’s such a busy weeks @ month? Whatever. Sekarang dah 11 hari bulan May. PMR 8 October! Nak dekat dah sha! Tapi Sha tulis blog sedikit banyak menggunakan otak sha, kan? InsyaAllah, Amiin. Kali entry sha just random-random je, okay.

                Semalam akak Tanya sha “ kenapalah kamu ni takda life?” Sha pun “em.. em.. Ha?” Livless Life. YES? Entahla. Maybe sebab akak tengok sha balik rumah beribadat, study, angkat kawan call tapi takda dah tecting-texting and kadang-kadang online. Yeah.. Maybe I SHOULD liveless life pasal dah over terlife sebelum ni. Kosa kata baru cheewah. Hurm. Gaya akak cakap tu macam sha jalani kehidupan tak normal. Eh?

 

Okay, sumpah banyak gila aktiviti bermula April samapai penghujung April. And firstly, Mighty Minds State challenge which is held on last First April, Saturday. Sha, Atikah, Zakirah in my group, and Kalpana with Jia Wei and Xing Yi. Walaupun kita kalah *ohh shit, first group gila soalan susah siot but second bapak senang no wonder lah SMKB pun dapat markah lebih dari kitorang. And, Zakirah tu! Sha ingat dia tak tekan lagi, tapi dah tekan! Cause the answer yang sha nak jawab tulah jawapan sebenar!. Haish. Sabarlah sayang.

And, next Hari Keusahawaan which is held on sekolah ganti so thanks to Puan Pengetua. Tak payahlah susah-susah bangun awal pagi for nest Saturday’s sekolah ganti. Ya, ypu know what, kelas sha jual makanan berat! Okay, sapa yang jual, masak, jaga gerai and ect?!

Well, as assistant *Abigail which is class monitor frust cause she was the one semangat nak jual cupcake. But sekali kita dapat menu berat, terus dia tak libatkan diri and satu geng diorang tak datang. Just imagine lah, Last Saturday, almost 13 orang absent. O.o Yalah, if I am Abigail pun akan rasa macam tu. Sebulan sebelum tu dah prepare, siap fikir nak buat apa, sapa nak buat and bagainya. 

So, 3B buat Mi Sup, Mihun Sup dan Nasi Air! Okay, sapa cadang ni? Puan Sazila, and I’m the excited-ness girl that want you to know tha our gerai closed tak sampai sejam  berniaga! Why? Kena saman ke? Hesy! Bukan. Tapi jualan habis cepat! Yalah, semua kali ada dalam lebih kurang 65. Yang terlibat ramai tau. Actually Sha ada gambar tu , tapi kat phone and USB ada problem so, nextime lah udpdate with pictures, heh? Sha for Ayam, Atikah kacang &Ikan bilis, Zac for Mi Sup, Wani Mihun  Sup, Najiha for Nasi air. Black pepper Sha bawak lah and Adlin Illyana beli Tupperware. Kalau nak ikutkn gerai kitorang should dapat untung lagi banyak cos Adlin tu beli Tupperware sampai nak dekat RM40 ringgit. Cuba Tanya makcik-makcik or abang-abang handsome yang jual makanan kat pasar malam. Ada ke beli tuppeware untuk 70 belas sampai RM40 ringgit? Takdanya! Sha, as class assist with Kuna(Tengku Hasnaa) and Aqila the one yang jaga kedai. Maybe muka kitorang yang cun *rolling eyes* and gila peramah *well* menyebabkan ramai student beli kat kedai kitorang? Chewwah takdalah. Student tu semua lapar kot. Ditambah pula makanan berat yang 3B jual murah which is RM2 for each mangkuk. Tak ke murah tu?  And Alhamdullilah dapat untung juga. Sha diberi RM10 as penjaga gerai. ~.^

 

Next, ni Sha rasa acara mega tahunan for this year. Emas Fest. What’s that? English, Mathematics and Science Festival which is last year held in SM Vokasional *opposite to Afzan” I know becos Im also the one yang join the festival woth 2 Arif and Puan Aizan last. Year tak boleh blanya, the part of Azly tak reti melintas jalan. Haha. Walaupun diadakan di Afzan julung-julung kalinya, Sha tetap tak pergi cause sha ada urusan lagi penting. Walimah orang tua Sha. Bab tu Sha malas nak ceritalah, kay. 

 Do I look Chubby?!

1May yang lepas, dah berangkat ke Perak, Penang. Hantar akak temu duga kat USM. Then alang alang tu, singgahlah ke rumah mak Long. Tok pun pergi tau. Memang penak perjalanan and rasa macam nak patah je tulang belakang. Tapi nasib baik kereta selesa ^.^. Hurm, first day tu, bermalam kat rumah mak long. Then second tu, which is masa kat Penang,  duduk dekat The Cove Condominium. Nice. 2 bedrooms for six , ruang sosial, tandas tiga and dapur lengkap peralatan memasak. Habis temu duga tu, tetiba akak cakap leaps ni tak datang dah. Ha? Sebab tadi temu duga cam hancusss je. Pastu mak tambah, mak pun tak suak juga duduk kat sini, sebab dikelilingi air. Kalau tsunami, habis je. Mak, tu semua takdir Allah. Kalau macamlah kalau yati dapat kat London, takkan kena apaper musibah. Fikir sha sebab mak bagi pula Yati pi UK kalau dapat. InsyaAllah Amiin. Okbye. Assalamualaikum. Sayang awak. :*

 Ya, Saya mengada o.O

Evening at Pure PR HQ

Just got back from a lovely evening at Pure PR. We saw so many exciting products that I can't wait to feature on the blog. Here's a sneak peek of what's to come:

Mavala new season nail polish, can't get enough of the pastels at the moment

Multi-tasking balm that is said to be super healing for scars and blemishes

Bieber fragrance, smell like sweets, look suspiciously similar to another perfume...

Apparently a growing list of celebs swear by these fish oil capsules- they are lemon coated which makes them more appealing

Very excited about Supergoop- a range of facial sunscreen designed to be worn every day

Yum, we were treated to a selection of sweets

As we left we were given a balloon, and told to pop it at home...

Inside was a lucky ticket- I've tweeted mine and am waiting to see if I've won a raffle prize!

Thanks to Deb and the team x

My Week in Instagram

L-R
1. Happy cakes baked by Laura
2. Chilly South Bank stroll
3. Wow Ramin Karimloo (aka THE Phantom/ Jean Valjean) in concert
4. Christian Louboutin exhibition at the Design Museum
5. Trying to convert to soya milk - not convinced
6. Steph with our feast at Meat Liquor- recommend a visit!
7. Old Operating Theatre museum - grotesque but so interesting
8. Lemon treacle tart with salted caramel ice cream at Food With Friends in Brighton
9. Avengers 3D -  didn't like the film but did like 'Thor' from Home and Away

What a week!

Review: Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess

Every summer Estée Lauder launches a Bronze Goddess collection containing the usually selection of bronzers, limited edition lipsticks, highlighters...and the most delicious smelling scent in the beauty halls! Perfume is usually subjective, but Bronze Goddess is a fragrance that quashes that myth. I defy you not to like it!

Imagine sand, suncream and pina coladas, this is literally summer in liquid form. We're all obsessed with it in work, and for the past month have spent lunch hours lurking around the Estée Lauder counter, hassling sales women for arrival dates. Now it's finally here we all have a bottle, and I've been wearing mine every day, albeit in a slightly ironic fashion (I couldn't be further from a bronze goddess if I tried, I'm as pale as a piece of paper).

It's the sort of scent you spray on the back of the wrist and then spritz all over. Light enough for day but with just enough musk to take you through the evening, it is perfect the perfect holiday fragrance. It almost seems sacrilege to wear it in dreary rainy old London...can't wait to fly off on holiday with it!

Bronze Goddess is only available through the summer, and I've known it to sell out, so don't hang around.

PS. There is also a Bronze Goddess Capri fragrance, a lighter citrus variation. I prefer this original, but the Capri is also quite amazing- it smells of the beach. I may end up getting both!

Book Review: Grace Williams Says it Loud by Emma Henderson

Grace Williams Says it Loud by Emma Henderson tell the story of a disabled girl in the 60s. When her parents can no longer cope with her care they send her to The Briar, a mental institute. Told from the point of view of Grace herself, it chronicles the trials and tribulations of her experience there, including a blossoming romance with Daniel, an epileptic boy who has lost his arms in an accident.

I didn't love this book like I expected to, but I didn't hate it either. I liked the fact that it was shocking without being a classic tale of abuse. Grace does not require your pity, and though there are many instances of neglect, not all of her life is doom and gloom. It is a matter of fact portrayal where good comes with bad.

The relationship between the protagonist and her sister is interesting and beautifully written. Sarah is born shortly after Grace enters The Briar, timing which gives the impression that she serves as a replacement within the family. Every developmental landmark Sarah reaches highlights Grace's lack of physical ability, and though years younger she has an awareness of her superior advancement. Strangely enough, as Sarah grows up it is she who devotes the most time to her disabled sister, witnessing these two become close is heartwarming.

This book's weakness is also its strength. The authorial voice. Told in first person by Grace, the narrative is poetic and lyrical throughout, a stark contrast with her outward persona in which she can only utter a couple of words at a time due to the limitations of her disability. This perhaps telling us that we should not judge a book by its cover, she is fiercely intelligent though society has branded her by her illness.

Yet...something in this did not quite add up. It skips from philosophical ponderings, to brash base curse words. It is an eloquent voice, that is also peppered with babyisms that betray her condition 'boobsies' for example crops up with regularity. Also, Grace recounts scenes she witnessed as a toddler in great detail,  all in all it makes it more than a little unbelievable. Dipping between past and present makes the story more compelling and widens understanding, but perhaps this would have worked better if we were presented with more than one account.

I've since read that Henderson based the book on the experiences of her sister, who spent time in a similar home as a child. It is certainly an eye opener, and I did enjoy the book despite my reservations. Plugging it as a love story (it's the main focus of the blurb) is not accurate as Grace's experiences with Daniel are more coming of age than Romeo and Juliet, but it is a surprising read that you won't forget in a hurry.