Rosaliene Bacchus –– August 24, 2021– PRESS RELEASE — NEW NOVEL — THE TWISTED CIRCLE
Front Cover The Twisted Circle: A Novel by Rosaliene Bacchus (USA, 2021)
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Aggrieved, angered, and ashamed by the revelations in the documentary film, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, author Rosaliene Bacchus breaks her silence as a former Catholic nun in her novel, The Twisted Circle, and adds her voice for victims of sexual abuse by predatory priests in the patriarchal Catholic Church.
Drawing on her seven-year experience of the religious life during the 1970s in her native land, Guyana, Bacchus explores the abuse of power by members of the clergy. The religious women ensnared in the author’s twisted circle of deceit, are not without guilt. Taught to hate the sin but forgive the sinner, they share silent complicity with the abusers.
Inspired by real events—the author’s sexual harassment as a young nun by a government official and her conflict with an American missionary nun—The Twisted Circle is set in Guyana’s remote northwest rainforest region where Bacchus spent her final year in the convent. Against the backdrop of the country’s 1979-1980 Civil Rebellion raging against the dictatorship government, the author reveals the symbiotic relationship between nuns and priests through the lenses of two warring nuns, Guyanese Sister Barbara Lovell and American Sister Frances Adler.
Barbara, an art and geography teacher, has fled the capital from the groping hands of her parish priest. She joins the staff at the public high school in the Interior township where Frances teaches biology. The white nun from Ohio is obsessed with Father Geoffrey Goodman, their British parish priest and her spiritual director. She considers Barbara, the captivating, dark skin Guyanese nun, as a threat to her special relationship with Geoffrey.
While Frances grapples with Geoffrey’s broodiness as well as the demons of the Vietnam War that destroyed her brother’s life, Barbara struggles with sexual harassment at school from District Education Officer Douglas Simmons. Nothing misses the uncanny perception of the devious thirteen-year-old student Raven Mendonza, son of an indigenous Carib shaman. Raven’s painting of a twisted circle for his end-of-term art test troubles Barbara. Glaring at her from a turbulent sky is a large red eye. What does Raven see that remains hidden from her view.
When disaster strikes the close-knit township, Barbara and Frances must come to terms with the duplicity and complicity in a whitewashed Catholic Church.
ROSALIENE BACCHUS grew up in Georgetown, Guyana, spent 17 years in Northeast Brazil, and now lives in Los Angeles, California, with her two sons. As a young idealist in the 1970s, the divorced mother and former import-export manager had dedicated seven years to the religious life as a Catholic nun and high school teacher. Her debut novel, Under the Tamarind Tree (Available on Amazon). was released in 2019.
Learn more about Rosaliene and her work at her author’s website https://www.rosalienebacchus.com and connect with her through her blog Three Worlds One Vision.
NEW BOOK – THE TWISTED CIRCLE — Available on AMAZON < click here
Contact: Rosaliene Bacchus Phone: (310) 490-4751
Email: 316892@email4pr.com
SOURCE Rosaliene Bacchus
Comments
Congratulations, Rosaliene, on the publication of your new books! The storyline sounds interesting. Might be the basis also for movie. Given that you reside in LA, you might have access to interested film directors! Any contacts already?
Thanks, Brandi! Sad to say, I don’t have any contacts in the movie industry.
Take a look at Richard Brown, seems sincere, he was looking to produce new material, he always helped his actors make their own short films.
I know there are mountains to climb, hard to find “honest” people in the Industry, but I think maybe, drop him a line.Never know.Small steps.
BTW my wife thinks he is great, but she loves Jamaican culture.
Fact or fiction, if fact,I might buy it.
Wally, I just bought the book on Amazon. Creative Guyanese writers deserve our support!
Thanks, Brandi! Love to hear to comments after reading.
Wally, often the truth must be shaped in fiction to be rendered visible.
Sound like a liberal to me…I had promised not to, but I am leaning leaning…
what is…
1 Used from $25.18 4 New from $18.46 guess which one the GUYANESE gonna buy?
Wally, I’m puzzled about used copies, considering my book has just been released. It’s priced at US$14.80.
Cyril, thanks for sharing my Press Release. Much appreciated 🙂
Commiseration on your terrible entanglement and misfortune at the RCC.
My grandson (future ambulance chaser) told me if some people feel the author has traction they would buy and hold.?He thinks I should try kindle, he used internet for Philosophy, I told him I hate both Philosophy and kindle, ole school guy, if I can touch, I own it.
I bought books before on the internet, if possible I like them signed, I intend to buy it.
BOOK REVIEW COMMENT ON AMAZON
~ AMAZON REVIEW, AUGUST 29, 2021, BY DAN McNAY, AMERICAN AUTHOR OF FIVE NOVELS. DAN LIVES IN LOS ANGELES, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, USA.
Praise for The Twisted Circle: A Novel
by Rosaliene Bacchus – 5.0 out of 5 Stars
This book, The Twisted Circle, is an amazing heartfelt journey of a young devout sister, Barbara, in Guyana. She begins her chosen path pure in her faith and devotion. She is immediately sexually harassed by her first priest and in escaping him, she transfers to a remote school that devours her with its own demented jealousies and hidden abusive practices. Her struggle, like all of our struggles, is goodness trying to move forward despite serious roadblocks and the ill will of those who can only express pain and destruction. Her story shows what bravery can look like when faced by insurmountable odds. A misogynistic church run by men and women who have sold their souls to keep the old ways in place offers her no help or protection. This is a place where children are hurt.
Losing becomes swift and heartless. And it does not differentiate between the good and the evil. Barbara must face the reality of what her world has become. You will come away with a marvelous memory of characters that breathe off the page and true heroism that lives on after all is lost.
~ AMAZON REVIEW, AUGUST 29, 2021, BY DAN McNAY, AMERICAN AUTHOR OF FIVE NOVELS. DAN LIVES IN LOS ANGELES, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, USA.
Thanks for sharing the review of Rosaliene’s newest novel! Looking forward to reading it! I had my own fights with the former Catholic priest and the local Church Board in my community. There was a major discordance between the ideals preached on Sundays and who they treated local staff on weekdays….