How would you react if, like Heather, you went into counseling and discovered that you had four alternate personalities living inside your head, and these personalities treated you with a mixture of indifference, disdain, and hostility?
What if you realized that an angel and a demon were actively involved in your life, and one of your alternate personalities believed herself to be aligned with the demon? Would you be mad? Angry? Crazy? Maybe a bit of both?
Heather's Voice—the fifth book in the Life in Many Voices series—is Heather's perception of the traumatic events that shaped her life. In the first story, Mad, Heather recounts the abuse of her childhood, the chaos of adolescence, and the maturing that comes with adult self-discovery. It is indeed a story of madness, but it is also an unusual story of healing, unusual in the depth of her abuse and in the subtle, guiding help of an angel.
In the remainder of the book, Heather's parables capture many of the experiences and struggles that shaped her journey. Sometimes with humor, often sardonic, these tales are glimpses into the mind of one called to be a prophet. There is no denying the madness that underpins her world, and it is up to the reader to decide if she is angry, crazy, or a voice we need to hear.
So, it’s finally come to this. Me, sitting calmly in my lovely little padded cell while all about goes mad. Seems ironic, doesn’t it? Irony. The drye mock, as Robertson Davies called it. Yes, I have been on the receiving end of God’s drye mock once or twice in my life. I guess that’s why I ended up here. One drye mock too far, Lord.
But before I fade into sweet lithium oblivion, I’m going to tell my story. And you be the judge. If there is indeed any vestige of true justice left on this miserable planet, maybe some of you will understand. But then, I guess that doesn’t really matter. Sane or diabolically insane, I have to write this book. True justice or no true justice, my words must come out.
When I come to the end of this diatribe, my work on this wretched planet will be done. And whether or not you believe me is entirely irrelevant. I’m as indifferent towards your sanction or your censure as the universe seems to be towards our paltry little existence. I will be free, and perhaps you will be left wondering. For if I’m truly indifferent, it becomes imperative to report only the truth. And if I’m telling the truth, then God help us all. Bon appétit, mes amis. Let the games begin.
