<b>PEARL RULED @ 85%</b>

That is not a typo above. Nor am I a complete nutter. I threw in the towel at that late, late date because it was clear that Bec was a man-centered fantasy girl, one whose marriage being sexless was hurtful to her so she starts a sexual relationship with a wholly inappropriate man. One whose damaged mental health should have warned her off ANY intimacy. More especially since she is involved in the care home he is living within.

CWs for past rape, PTSD, breast cancer used as a Plot Point only.

This story was beautifully written and deeply engaging. The characters are raw and complex.
Many thanks to Fomite and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher Fomite and NetGalley for allowing me access to this interesting read.
Synopsis. A preacher’s wife still recuperating from a double mastectomy moves to her familial home in New Mexico after her husband is deployed to Afghanistan. She needs to heal, physically and emotionally, and the cabin in the mountains will give her the solitude she craves. However, that is the last thing she finds as the people in her village absorb her into their lives whether she likes it or not.
I found this narrative exceedingly difficult to read. Tightly written, the reader experiences the fall out of child abuse, mental illness, wounded veterans, and PTSD. Even the tone of the story is unclear until each chapter presents itself individually.
There is a lot of introspection in this book. And though I feel this story is exceedingly relevant and incredibly well written, there are other readers out there better to digest this than myself. They will be able to identify with it, understand it, allow it to be a balm to their soul. Even with the beautiful friendships formed in the story, I know I am not that person. Regardless, I HAD to finish the whole of this novel, and now having done so, I can set this one aside. I will leave it for another to contemplate, to think about, to decide it’s effect upon their own humanity. Be warned, it will leave a scar across your heart.

I love a story set in a remote location with quirky townsfolk. And Throw Away the Skins has them aplenty. Bec Robertson sets out for her grandfather’s long abondoned cabin in New Mexico. The cabin was a childhood sanctuary far removed from an abusive father and seems a perfect place for a fresh start. Only this time she is running from a husband who isn’t able to accept her in the aftermath of a double mastectomy. Her husband has taken off, with some encouragement, to Afganistan where he will serve as a chaplain. While she is considering her life, a failing marriage and what comes next, a group of broken down vets arrive in her life. Together they struggle and find kinship but it is not without its complications. Jones has set up a great story but I found the novel wanting.

What I liked - the novel’s sense of place, I like the way the author addressed life after cancer, life after military service, the invisible wounds people carry especially those of the self sacrificing vet, the manner in which society dismisses the misfit and the many ways ones life can leave you feeling damaged. What I didn’t like - from a woman’s perspective many of Bec’s choices did not feel authentic to me and felt contrived to move the storyline forward, it was unevenly paced and then rushed to the end. Nevertheless, I genuinely liked Jone’s writing when it was less self-conscious and I look forward to reading what he writes next

My thanks to NetGalley, Scott Archer Jones and Fomite Publishers for the privilege of reading this digital novel.

As much an analysis of human response to trauma as it is a story of a true sea change, this book has a lot to offer. With sensitive insights into the reality of dealing with physical damage as well as emotional impacts of suffering, the author somehow manages to bring humour into the mix as well. I loved the insights into village life and the setting seemed beautiful.