Three Roses and a Thorn

Rebecca M. Elizondo

Description

Women from three generations trying to understand why they all share the same trait of being fatherless daughters.
Compared to the writings of the 2021 NACCS Scholar Josie Mendez-Negrete: Las hijas de Juan: Daughters Betrayed
The bond between grandmother, mother, and daughter is unraveled by a journey of self-discovery and forgiveness across three generations. Compared to the critically acclaimed winner of six literary awards for fiction Kathleen H. Wheeler: Brought to our senses
Three Roses and a Thorn is the stunning debut of an innovative storyteller. It is the story of three generations of Latina women coming to terms with addictive behaviors, dysfunctional traits, and the representational similarities of being fatherless daughters.
Rebecca M. Elizondo writes from the heart with an optimistic sarcasm; Alma, the grandmother, an uncompromising 89-year-old woman battling the final stages of Alzheimer’s who aims to make sure her tribe is taken care of after she dies. Esperanza, a carefree, optimistic force, also known as Hope, has diligently journaled her whole life including the struggles of caring for her and realizing her daughter will soon leave the nest. Gabriella, an outspoken, jovial young woman who brings laughter into everyday life must decide whether to begin a new start on a great opportunity as a journalist.
From the time Hope was a child, Mother's Day was celebrated at the family beach house. In reminiscence, Alma recalls the days when she was raised in Mazatlán, Mexico, before immigrating with her five sons to the United States. Trying to reconcile what she believes about love her whole life with what she doesn’t know about why family secrets exist. Keeping this balance is essential for Hope when she navigates the inevitable of her mom’s illness and letting her daughter go simultaneously. A realization that they are all in this together will ultimately ensure the pain of the past and future.
The turbulent cycle of inherited traits and life complications is dismantled when Rebecca depicts a family of women whose bond is impenetrable and is battling Alzheimer’s. It is through her work she has bridged the old and new, allowing a better understanding of what it means to be a Mexican woman, which is to confront adversity with strength and dignity.

Sujets

• Alzheimer's
• Mental Health
• Women
• Alzheimer's disease
• Dysfunction
• Generation
• Addiction
• Générations
• Fiction
• Immigration

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 08 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665743884
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Three Roses and a Thorn
 
 
 
 
 
REBECCA M. ELIZONDO
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Copyright © 2023 Rebecca M. Elizondo.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
 
 
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4387-7 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-4388-4 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023908897
 
 
 
Archway Publishing rev. date: 05/23/2023
Contents
Author’s Notes
Introduction
 
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Ninteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
 
Three Roses Forever…
Acknowledgments
About the Author

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DEDICATED
To my beloved mother ,
forever my anchor,
the strength within my soul,
and the voice talking me through life.
I miss you and love you momma.
1932-2022
Author’s Notes
The book is fiction, the timelines, situations, and characters are not factual. These are generalizations, events and experiences which are loosely based on my perspective of what I believe to be important.
Some of the dialogue in this book is in Spanish, which I have not translated. I consider this to be a cultural experience that allows readers to gain an understanding of what I experienced. I believe that this form of storytelling allows readers to authentically engage with the characters and the story more deeply, as they can hear the words and the emotions behind them in their native language. It also helps to generate an understanding of the culture and of the struggles of different people. In my life, I wasn’t given subtitles either because my parents did not want to provide them. The fact that I could not speak fluently was regarded as rude to some of the older generations, did not matter I totally understood what they said. Therefore, it meant I had to learn it or figure out how to respond grammatically correct.
Introduction
One day Hope was cleaning out the garage, hidden behind a dense veil of cobwebs, she found a cardboard box marked in bold letters ‘CONFIDENTIAL-Do Not Touch Or You Will DIE!’ It was her private collection of journals she had written over the years. She recalled when her mother questioned what on earth was the writing about so much that it merited an oversized box duct taped as if it was contraband from overseas. Hope enlightened her on how she felt resolved when writing allowing her to escape into the depths of a peaceful bliss of her journaling. Her mother snorted at her! What the heck!’ Despite the unenthusiastic attitude, Hope was satisfied with the cheaper price of journaling on the $1.99 composition books as a lifelong therapist.
There were moments she needed to vent and write about happy times, problematic issues, or wild adventures, intimate thoughts, or aspirations. Even enter the out of this world stories about her mother growing up in Mexico coping with the crazy family dynamics. Her father, for one, who forsaken her at the age of seven months old dropping her off to his two devoted Catholic sisters to raise her alongside her gay uncle. This laid the foundation for Hope’s mother’s unabated journey through life accompanied by a myriad of dysfunctional and addictive behaviors. She embraced her new life with a tenacity that nothing could be little her goal, refuse to be a victim of her circumstances and instead take control of her destiny.
This is why her cynical mother’s DNA grew up faulty disabling the ability to express emotions openly. Then add Hope’s daughter whose father also abandoned her without a word. It is for this loss in her life that she manifests her fighting spirit attitude. Hope’s father, on the other hand, a kind hardworking man yet was more like a ghost. There but not there. For those generational reasons, she spent her entire life trying to have her mother and daughter be more receptive how therapeutic journaling could be for their soul. Schooling them about writing down your thoughts as self-care was unsuccessful. By persisting with writing, began to recognize her own healing spirit.
During her mother’s final stage of Alzheimer’s, specifically since it became necessary for hospice care to be provided. Trying to process through the different stages of her illness and the 24-7 need for caregivers, Hope gained a great deal of insight into this dreadful disease. It became obvious to her mind and body were unprepared to handle the challenges of caring for her mother in an environment like this. Feeding, bathing, changing diapers, medication, repeat. she never fathom taking care of an 89-year-old woman whose mind reversed her age as if she was an infant. This left her with no choice other than to turn off the ego, cultivate serenity, enhance emotional strengths plus weaknesses, until now remain forgiving of her needs and wants. This terminal journey Hope’s mother was on certainly was not easy to accept, from the perspective of grief due to her illness lingering to death and finally grieving over her death. The passage now has become a deeper understanding of herself beginning by accepting everything that has happened for a purpose to value and embrace a new life.
All three of them vowed to become awe-inspiring women who overcame three generations of complications. They are bound together forever by an indestructible bond. The unwavering belief in the value of every life drives them to continually educate the mind to heal the wounds of every female they encounter. Whatever the age, the story never fades, whether it began 89 years ago, to 59, or 32 years past. The place they will hold dearest in their hearts is by the ocean, where a significant memory was shared. This is because the ocean can be a powerful symbol of change and renewal, which is often associated with memories. The sound of the waves, the salty air, and the vastness of the sea can all help to create a sense of calm that helps to recall past events.
Chapter One

I am fifty-plus calendar years into my life, and I have not yet been able to identify the purpose of my existence. I ask myself, “Who am I? Why am I here?” I look in the mirror and I see me – Lourdes Esperanza Ordaz. Pretty hot for my age! However, I am not sure if it is supposed to be about me. I don’t understand, then. I know it starts with God, but my search has been a selfish one. My head is telling me, I need to consider my struggle is real and, above all, I am not getting any younger. I admit there has been some unmanageable drama in my life. While it constantly reminds me of the troublesome experiences I have endured and have unbalanced my life to where I stop caring. My journey has also led to some discouraging events with a lack of fulfillment. On the flip side, I face the challenges with a positive attitude toward life. Accepting the truth of my journey can be hard to swallow. Let’s leave it to honesty finding me and calling me out like the big bad bully on the school playground. I have been divorced twice from unsuccessful choices of men. In all probability, I do not think it was too much to ask from them to keep it in their pants. Seriously! As the optimistic woman I am deep down, I continue to hold my head up high. My life has been filled with a great deal of pollution brought in by men I truly loved, but I have survived and become a stronger person as a result. Through the process of self-reflection and learning to forgive, I have been able to find the strength to move on and become a better version of myself. I have realized that I am capable of so much more than I ever imagined and that I can find the courage to face as a daily supplement. I stand tall to be independent, without the crutch of any male support. In this stage of my life, all I ask was for no more horseshit. As fleeting it may sound, it might be a good thing to conduct an extensive background check before I decide to get involved with another man and share the genuine commodity of my love.
When I was in my late twenties, I married for the very first time, and I was blessed with a daughter who I adore. Wedding number one lasted a blink of an eye, like most of his sexual attempts. When my life started to settle down and had a promising destination ahead as a single parent, it had taken a drastic turn. Hence, marriage number two. I was in love a