A Review of K. A. Plouffe`s Annie`s Odyssey

BOOK
CORNER
Bo o k C o r n e r
L EA R N
A Review of K. A. Plouffe’s
Annie’s Odyssey
Nothing says it’s winter like a cozy, roaring
fireplace, a warm cup of coffee, and lounging
around in your favorite PJs with a good book to
read. Even better if that good book is the kind
of book you will want to read over and over
again, just to soak in the mystical characters
and magical adventures found on the spiritual
pathway of trauma recovery. OH Magazine
editor, Keith A. Plouffe, has written just such a
book and believe me, Annie’s Odyssey takes you
on a journey you won’t soon forget.
On the brink and just steps away from
suicide after rape and betrayal shatters her pop
star dreams, the novel’s main character, Annie,
is reborn into a world of wizardry and wonder
after a mysterious encounter finds her in the
midst of a brutal transportation from modern city
to medieval land. Dragons, princesses, an evil
monarch, and a sorcerer you will meet, but this
book is much more than its medieval plot. The
characters all face personal challenges, trauma,
and their own psychological journey. But it is
Annie’s odyssey that brings her full circle and
perhaps you too. Annie must face the terrible
secret that haunts her or both worlds known to
her may be lost to her forever.
Retired Air Force psychologist Steven J.
Byrnes, Lt Col., writes, “Annie’s Odyssey” is a
superb story about how an adolescent girl adapts
to a cruel world filled with malicious adults who
seek to exploit the weak and defenseless. Like
many who are traumatized by life experiences,
Annie recovers by journeying through a process
of personal discovery that brings healing and
growth. She learns to overcome the haunting
and dark memories of past experiences to
find present day direction and meaning to life.
The author brilliantly illustrates an essential
component of trauma recovery—learning to
incorporate traumatic experiences into a view of
self and world rather than repress or avoid them.
By doing so, the main character, Annie, is able
to acknowledge the past, but is no longer pulled
under by it. When a trauma survivor reaches this
point in recovery, life begins to move forward,
allowing room for meaning and purpose to once
again be experienced. The author does a terrific
job of describing this process through a rich
description of characters who must overcome
their own demons to be liberated from the
psychological damage caused by those who
abused them.”
Annie’s Odyssey takes us on a journey in
which the victim becomes the victor and teaches
us all that healthy, loving relationships can heal
the most tragic of lives.
Annie’s Odyssey is available in paperback on Amazon.
com, Barnesandnoble.com, Lauricpress.com, as well
as on Kindle and Nook.
OH MAGAZINE WINTER 2012 47