When Smiles Fade
Young Emma Murphy kills people, but only if they deserve to die.
Emma was unloved from the moment she was born. Her earliest memory is being beaten by her father,Pepper Murphy, when she was eight-years-old. Seething with resentment, over the sacrifice of his dreams for a woman he cares little about and children he never wanted, Pepper chooses to blame his older daughter. Her mother, Valerie, makes matters worse with her verbal abuse, leaving Emma isolated with a man that has no boundaries in punishing his daughter, taking the abuse to unimaginable levels.
Emma’s father’s coldblooded beatings and the ultimate abuse to which he subjects her, lays the foundation of the person she becomes. As she matures into a resourceful teenager, she is unwilling and unable to stifle a desire for revenge. Reaching her breaking point, she can no longer control the impulse to fight back. Finally, she takes matters into her own hands.
Having learned the art of hatred from her father, and the mastery of manipulation from her mother, Emma sets out to make a better life for herself,leaving the memory of the abused child she had once been behind her. Hardened by heartless brutality and the dangerous situations she must overcome in the course of her journey, she faces every challenge that comes her way in her quest for a normal life for herself and for those she loves.
Finally, a person emerges from within who guides her toward a better life,until she learns of a secret that sets her on the path of ultimate redemption.
Reviews:
“This story leaves a lasting impression. It has a lot of depth and is packed with emotion. You will not be able to put it down.”- (CurseOf The Bibliophile)
“Paige gives her characters a surreal quality that is rare in other books. Dearth manages to mould all the pieces into a pottery of delicate artwork. You feel. You cry. You hope.” – (Reading In Between the Lines)