Book Review: Sunday’s Child by Anne Lyken-Garner
Send to KindleWe cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. ~Charles R. Swindoll
Sunday’s Child by Anne Lyken-Garner is a story of hope, courage and determination … it is also a story of extreme poverty, desperation and the appalling systematic abuse of a young girl by her grandmother.
Lyken-Garner’s compelling memoir is told from her perspective as a child from the age of 10 to 15 years and takes place in Guyana during the 1980’s amid an unstable political climate and economic crisis that has forced the country to resort to food and energy rationing.
The book draws you in from the very beginning with the author’s vivid portrayal of life in her village, harsh days living in fear of anything that might set off another beating, hours spent in food lines and long trips to the local bar at all hours to get drink for her grandmother. Yet the periodic journal entries she shares with readers also provide surprising moments of humor, compassion and remarkable resilience.
In fact, despite the constant messages from her grandmother that she is worthless and unloved, the author holds on steadfastly to both her intellect, and her capacity to love and to believe in a brighter future.
I highly recommend Sunday’s Child and am delighted that Anne has graciously agreed to a brief interview to provide some additional insight.
How did you come up with the title for your book Anne?
The title of my book was due to a mistake on my part, but once I found this out, I decided I liked the name anyway. There’s a poem that goes like this: Monday’s child is fair of face. Tuesday’s child is full of grace. Wednesday’s child is full of woe… etc. I tried to remember the poem when I was giving my book a working title and mistakenly thought that it said Sunday’s child was full of woe. So I named the book Sunday’s Child. Once I realized my mistake I had already grown attached to the name and thought it fit really well. My story after all, was not only about woe. It was about surviving despite troubles in your life. ‘Sunday’s Child’ by-the- way, according to the poem, is ‘bonny and blithe and good and gay’.
What inspired you to write your story now?
Some years ago, (2004) my husband and I were away in Ireland without the kids. We were chatting one morning after breakfast at our hotel and I was telling him the story about how I managed to get away from a psychopath, who chased me in order to hurt me when I was about 9. He told me I had so many interesting stories about my life, and that they would make a really gripping read. ‘You should write a book’, he said. When we returned home I started to write Sunday’s Child on his old, broken laptop.
Yours is such a complex story, how long did it take you to write your book?
I started on the 6th of January 2005 and finished on the 30th of January that same year. It took me 24 days to write all the content down. I went back and edited, added dialogue, descriptions etc. But then it took me more than 7 years to find a publisher J
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Definitely going back over the abusive parts of my life. They really affected me while I was writing them down. It was almost as though I was looking at a helpless, frightened (and I could still feel how extremely scared I was of my grandmother – even though I was no longer scared of her) little girl and going through all this with her. I felt really sorry – not for me in the present – but for her back then. I wanted to reach out and help her, but obviously couldn’t. It also appalled and surprised me that she could be so cruel to me. At that time my youngest, Mo was in a phase of looking exactly like pictures I’ve seen of myself when I was a little girl. I looked at Mo and thought, how on earth could anyone be cruel to her.
If you had to do it all over again Anne, would you change anything in your book?
No, nothing at all. I think it’s perfect the way it has turned out. It expresses exactly what I want it to say. I love Sunday’s Child because I think people will get so much inspiration from the story. It’s great and I’m extremely proud of it.
Did you learn anything from writing your book, and if so what was it?
I learned that you can make something sad sound funny if you tried. I actively injected a lot of humor into Sunday’s Child. I wanted to balance out the sad bits. I also learned that if you write your story you had to be prepared to re-live even the parts of your life that upset you most. If you’re going to let people into your life, you let them into the parts that you hate the most, and also those bits that you loved the most.
Anyone who’s read Sunday’s Child will surely be eager to hear more about your story. When do you anticipate Fair of Face to be released?
I’ve written most of the first draft now. It’ll take me some time to go back over it and neaten it up and add flavor and descriptions to the important bits. I think it should be ready next year.
In closing do you have any advice for other writers?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about writing it is to never give up the search to find the publisher who will treat your book the way it deserves to be treated. Too many publishers (if they can be bothered to reply to you) will ask you to make your story into what they want it to be, rather than encourage your vision of the direction you want your story to take. Of course, a non-fiction like Sunday’s Child can’t be changed in the way a fictional story can. Do your research for the publisher you think will appreciate your taste, your 
vision and your niche. Don’t compromise. Don’t be afraid to wait it out. But most of all, don’t give up. If I gave up in year 5 I wouldn’t be here today.
Thank you Anne for having the courage to tell your story, and for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today.
Thanks or your insightful questions, Marty. Thanks also for the privilege of doing this.
Sunday’s Child is on sale now at Amazon. If you’d like to learn more about Anne Lyken-Garner please visit her blog Get Confidence at http://getconfidence.net/
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It is one thing to recommend a book that you love, but it takes true passion and foresight to actually speak with the brilliant author too! Offering the insight like you have done here, Marty, is a real one-of-a-kind type scenario that you don’t see too often! Wonderful! You must really love this particular title, huh!
Marquita and Anne, what a privilege to be able to read about this book. I spent just a very little amount of time in Guyana as a child. It’s truly inspiring to see how many people around the world suffer such difficult circumstances. Some become bitter, others become beautiful. Anne is one of the beautiful ones.
Hi Marty, I enjoyed the interview also. I think when others tell stories like this, it helps readers to understand how strong someone needs to be, to get over a childhood like that. And, it shows those who are struggling to get over their childhood, that it is possible to lead a happy life in the future.
I was lucky to have a good childhood, so it’s difficult for me to understand how people feel. Not everyone has the strength to get over it!
Regards from Julieanne
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Julieanne vanZyl recently posted..How to Easily Create Landing Pages on Your Blog
Welcome back Julieanne, you are so right when you say some people struggle more than others to move beyond adversity in life. Research has proven that some people are born with a greater capacity for resilience, but the truth is while we have little control over what happens to us as children, we do have the ability to choose our thoughts, actions and direction in life as adults. Thanks for taking the time to contribute to the conversation!
Marty,
Well this is a bit of a departure from your norm. I love it. The review and interview gives a perspective of persistence in the face of adversity both in Anne’s younger life and in her search for the right publisher. It is a piece that is inspirational to all. The human spirit is a wonderfully resilient entity and stories like these need to be told and retold.
Thank you for venturing into uncharted territory.
Best,
RICK
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Rick Lelchuk recently posted..Death of a Salesman
The human spirit is definitely resilient, Rick. Sometimes we build up the resilience by having to practise it in our lives. Just like patience is cultivated from having to wait for things, I think that resilience is developed in the same way.
Many times it’s hardship in our lives that opens up the avenues of opportunities we seek. I hated my childhood, but as Marty said, I couldn’t control what happened to me then. Thank God I have a choice of what happens in life now.
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Anne recently posted..Confident Honk
Great book review, Marquita! Many of Anne’s experiences have been my own in writing my 2nd book; in which I’m still dedicated to bringing to its completion. The tips she provided about the publishing aspect will come in handy, I’m sure. Thank you and Anne for this most excellent post and interview. Much success to Anne’s book. It sounds like it’s a fantastic read!
Deone Higgs recently posted..What Does ‘Trust the Process’ Mean? – I Trust Life to Handle the Process
Thanks for your encouraging comment, Deone. I wish you all the best with your book. Let me know if I can help in any way.
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Anne recently posted..Confident Honk
I’ll try to collect Sunday’s Child and will read .I think ,it’ll be popular.Thanks for sharing.
Humberto Trever recently posted..How To Attract A Women
Oh, Yes! I too hope it will be popular, Humberto. The thing is to promote it properly, because as long as people have read it, they’ll see how inspiring it is. I know that Sunday’s Child addresses so many issues that affect the lives of many people across the world.
If you have the time, please leave a review on Amazon once you’ve read it. Thank you.
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Anne recently posted..Make Lemonade With Life’s Lemons
Thanks a lot for taking your time to read and share your perspective with us. I will have to get myself a copy and read soon.
June Summers recently posted..http://www.kimkardashiantaped.com
Thank you, June. Please let me know if you have any more questions about the book or the publishing process I can answer. Thanks for stopping by.
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Anne recently posted..People Are Watching You
Thank you so much for this, Marty. I really do appreciate the time you took to read Sunday’s Child and to put the questions together.
Great interview. I love Anne’s blog and I am sure I will love the book.
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I didn’t know it would take such a long time to find the right publisher, maybe Anne could give us more insight on this for aspiring writers, if she wants of course.
Mariella Lombardi recently posted..Free From Extra Pounds Or Captive To A Tipping Scale? Weight Gain on Independence Day
Thank you for contributing to the conversation Mariella. I’m so glad you enjoyed the interview, and I hope you will enjoy Anne’s book as much as I did.
Hi Mariella. Thank you for your continued support. Some writers find publishers a lot quicker than I did. Many of us take years for publishers to actually ‘get’ the work. I suppose you don’t want someone who’s not passionate about your work to promote you, do you? In the end it all works out for the best.
I remember reading that JK Rowling collected several dozens of rejection letter before she was published.
What do you want to know?
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Anne recently posted..Confidence To Let Go Of Bitterness
Incredible article! I suggest you to write more and more. you really give the reader the ability to think more among your writing , again thanks a lot .
So glad you enjoyed the review and interview with Anne Candice. I love reading and it’s always a privilege to have the opportunity to meet authors and learn about their background and creative process.
Very touching. I remembered what happen to me and my Dad. That some things can never go back the way it used to be.
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Trixie recently posted..best glock accessories
Welcome Trixie, thank you for taking the time to contribute to the conversation. Of course you are right, we can’t change the past … but we can make the most of today and the future.
Marquita,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story of a woman who endured cruelty and physical abuse and has survived and thrived with a marriage and family life she loves. The best revenge against an abuser is to not be destroyed and to live a happy life afterwards.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
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Erica Goodstone recently posted..Discover the Gift of Giving
Welcome back Dr. Erica and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts – always appreciated!