At breaking point Jo
deserts her dysfunctional family and possessive boyfriend, making an
uncharacteristic escape to the Himalayas in a bid for freedom and
self-knowledge. The peace she finds there helps her to unravel her turmoil, but
unexpected challenges test her new-found equilibrium to the limit.
Finding
Jo focuses on relationships between families, lovers and friends, and the
resentment and long-held grievances that threaten to destroy them. Jo’s quest
for a deeper purpose in life acts as a catalyst to her family, indicating that
willingness to change and grow enables people to find happiness.
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08VWL1JNR
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EXCERPT: Men’s emotional life
INTRO: It is now widely acknowledged that men do
not like to talk about their emotions and that they often suffer in silence. Women
tend to discuss personal aspects of their lives with their friends or close
family, but many men prefer not to disclose how they feel, or may try to cover
up how they are feeling. This may lead to misunderstandings because they are
not being open about how they feel, but sometimes they aren’t sure themselves what
the problem is. Jo’s brother, Michael, is very buttoned up and has never said
how he feels about anything. Here he is
having an exchange with David, who is trying to help him.
‘Sometimes I wonder if it was better when I wasn’t
talking about all this. Keeping things to yourself means you don’t have to go
over and over them with people.’
‘But everyone at home is so good telling everyone
they’re fine, when they’re not,’ David said, keeping his voice low. ‘People
have unhappy marriages, drink too much – like me - they work non-stop – also
like me. What sort of a life is it? There’s so much more to our lives than
that.’
‘It’s easy to say, David, when you’re up in the
hills in the most beautiful place on earth. You don’t have a wife and kids to
support. It’s easy to say.’
‘Yeah I know but we’re all the same inside. And I
certainly want to have a wife and kids to support one day. I just feel that if
I get this bit right now I might manage that all a bit better when it happens.’
‘Unlike me you mean.’
‘No I don’t. I’m not having a go at you. Don’t be
so defensive. Unlike anywhere else this place is full of people who really
care, and I guess everyone wants you to get it so that you can be happy too.’
Author Bio
– Frances Ive: A career as a journalist/PR led to health
writing for UK nationals newspapers and consumer magazines. Out of the blue I
was inspired to write a novel, Finding Jo, which has taken some years to come
to fruition, self-publishing in January 2021. I travelled a lot in my 20s and I
have drawn on my three months’ trip to India in Finding Jo.
Social
Media Links – Twitter: @healthysouluk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindingJoFrancesIve
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