As the Sycamore Grows

Jennie Miller Helderman
The Summers Bridgewater Press (2010)
ISBN 9780982773208
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (12/10) 


Domestic abuse – so present, yet so often overlooked. An issue unfortunately close to my heart. An issue that most often is simply not mentioned. Suffered in silence. Shrouded in misconceptions and all too often not taken seriously enough. Misunderstood. Underestimated. Deadly.

Jennie Miller Helderman’s “As the Sycamore Grows” is an incredibly powerful and sobering true account of obedience, poverty and isolation escalating in mounting abuse and violence. Her chance encounter with Ginger McNeil, whom she met to write an assignment about poverty, lead her to write one of the most chilling and thoughtful books I’ve read in a long time. One of the most amazing facets of the book was the contributions from both Ginger and her ex-husband, Mike. Having heard both sides of the story made the abuse sound even more distressing, if that was indeed even possible.

Ginger’s story began with her growing up in a very strict, regimented and patriarchal family. It came as no surprise to me that she married young and went quite wild rather quickly. Her first husband, who managed to sow his wild oats profusely before getting married, was no match and no real support for her. Their separation and divorce again came as no surprise, and unfortunately her second marriage was ill-fated from the start as well. As Ginger, herself, observed several times in the book, her willingness to obey, follow and make-do by stretching everything and being happy with little did not help at all. One of the most unsettling things in the book was the realization of how close to what we consider “civilization” it all happened. No, in the later years the McNeils did not have any really close neighbors, but there were people who saw the strange family and did – very little… This fact made me think again at how often we find it easier to just mind our own business. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, maybe there are instances where we could and should react. Ginger was lucky and her two sons and she came out alive and relatively unscathed (although I do urge you to read her ruminations about her two sons in the last part of the book…). Many are not that fortunate.

The story of Ginger’s growth and blossoming after having escaped her unhappy marriage was truly inspiring. The fact that she managed to keep a sense of humor and that she was willing to share her story made me marvel at the resilience of human beings. While there is no way that I could declare this an “enjoyable” book, it is certainly one that should be required reading for simply everybody. We need to know and we need to understand. Then more women will be able to follow Ginger’s path.

Kudos to Ginger and Mike for daring to tell their stories and kudos to Jennie Miller Helderman for writing such a well-balanced and eloquent book, “As the Sycamore Grows,” about a troubling and complex set of issues.

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