Running from Solace

by Nakia R. Laushaul

2011 USA BOOK NEWS BEST BOOKS AWARD WINNER2012 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS FINALIST“She passed a hard candy over her shoulder as though whatever was in the tiny wrapper was supposed to make it all better. I clutched the peppermint in my hand and buried my face in the hard leather seat while she explained what was going to happen to me. She promised that I’d be safe from then on.” And so begins the journey of Naomi, whose amazing story picks up where the past and future intersect. As Naomi struggles to hide the ugly physical and emotional reminders of yesterday that insist on haunting her dreams, she crosses paths with a young boy, Xavier and his quick-tempered mother, Mona, who both share an interesting story much like her own. Running from Solace is an emotional tale which will send you catapulting on a breathless journey beyond breaking points and will finally lead you to believe in the power of accepting what is to be.

Genres: Fiction, African American, Drama, Contemporary

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2010

About the author

She reads and she writes. And she really loves her son!

Reviews

[Pjaye Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

My writer's eyes read a story about a young girl named Naomi that persevered through years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of her mother Nola and her mother's boyfriend Uncle C. After being removed from her mother’s home she endures the foster system and puts herself through college. However, her emotional wounds are still so deep and fresh that they bleed out of her permanent scars left from childhood. Her marriage is suffering and eventually her whole life unravels when she meets a young boy named Xavier and his abusive mother Mona.

Nakia Laushaul has brilliantly crafted what I like to refer to as onion characters...once you peel back a layer there's much more to find. Xavier was my favorite character from the moment we meet him until the very end of the story. I felt his pain and wanted to walk up to him and hold him close. It's a moment he rejoices that someone wants to spend time with him and I literally had to put my Kindle down and cry. Laushaul has a way of drawing you in and caressing you with details page after page leaving you with cliff hanger chapter endings. She has the art of seducing you with her plot leading you to a climax that resolves this story nicely. I've already been recommending Running from Solace to anyone I know. This book makes for happy reading.

[Maya B · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story started out very strong. the plot was definitely there as well. The last few chapters felt rushed and I was left with some unanswered questions. I needed closure with all the characters, especially because it was so well written. As a warning this book does focus on child abuse.

[OOSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody Hurts

“Running from Solace” tells the story of Naomi, a woman who has dealt with mental, emotional, and physical abuse by her close relatives at an early age. Having survived time through the foster care system, Naomi is now married and working for Child Protective Services. When she is assigned to investigate a new case of child abuse allegations, she is forced to face the skeletons that are lingering in her closet. What makes Naomi feel so connected to this case? Will Naomi be able to face her demons? …Or will Naomi continue RUNNING FROM SOLACE?

Nakia Laushaul’s style of writing is phenomenal; she grabs the heart of the reader from the first line of the book. I love how this author gave each of the main characters a voice of their own. As I read the pages of this book, I felt as though I was sitting in the room with all of them. I visualized each of the characters standing in the middle of an empty stage giving me an account of their lives, sharing with me their pain, their happiness, and their discoveries. There were times I had to put the book down and have a good cry. This book is not predictable, so if you feel you have it figured out in the beginning...think again!

I would recommend “Running from Solace” to everyone that loves to read. Authors, take note of Nakia Laushaul!!! I haven’t felt this strong about a book in a long time.

Reviewed by: Orsayor

[Ms.Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurting People Hurt Others

Abused, misused, and mistreated…welcome to the young world of six-year-old Naomi. The daughter of an abusive addict, life was anything but easy for Naomi.

Fast forward several years and life is still not easy for Naomi. Sure, things have gotten better. Naomi is a college graduate married to a wonderful man working for Child Protective Services. She appears to have it all together, but she is still very haunted by her past. Her invisible scars ache. When she meets Xavier, a young boy and victim of abuse at the hands of his mother, Naomi is forced to confront her past.

“Running from Solace” was by no means an easy read because of its content/subject matter, but it was a very good read. I have to confess. I put off reading this book. Why? Because everyone liked it. I know, it sounds crazy. But I am so beyond reading these books that everyone thinks is so good only to end up scratching my head afterwards and wondering what I missed. “Running from Solace” is not one of those books. It’s what I call ‘grown folks reading’ and it’s easily recommendable. Everyone has a story to tell. I’m glad Nakia Laushaul told this one. This is a great debut and I look forward to Laushaul’s future endeavors.

4.5 stars

[Tonya Keitt Kalule · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without giving away the story it is about the cycle of child abuse. It gives you insight into the abuser and those abused, and how the cycle perpetuates even when one works hard to be different from what they hate.

It is a really good book, a page turner, and I definitely recommend it for many reasons. One for the story and writing itself, but also for the insight. It will help you look at abusers a little differently, because most often they too were abused and it is all they know.

I am not sure if there author is planning a sequel, but I definitely didn't like the way the book ended. Not just because there appeared to be so much unfinished business, but because that unfinished business ended kind of messy. Even at that I would read other books by the author as well.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naomi became a social worker and sought work with Child Protective Services determined to help children who, like herself, are victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of a parent. Through the intervention of an observant neighbor, Naomi had been removed from her home as a child and hasn't seen her mother in years but she is haunted by the memories of the things she endured.

Mona, too, was abused as a child. Regular beatings, threats, and constant neglect were all she knew. At the age of six her mother forced her to become the plaything of a pedophile in order to obtain money for drugs. The men who moved in and out of her mother's life became Mona's men too. She's an adult now and has three children of her own. She learned well at her mother's knee and parents her children in the only was she knows.

Nora is seeing all her dreams come true. She has a husband she loves, money in the bank and has recently been appointed associate Pastor for a large successful local church. Such a position of power is what she's worked for all of this for years. She must, however, keep her life history where it belongs. After all, she did the best she could at the time and it's all worked out well. Hasn't it?

Xavier, Genesis and Sean have perfected the art of walking on egg shells. Their mother's life is one of frustration and rage and lack of control. When the pressure becomes too much, she strikes out and her unfortunate children are convenient targets. Their bruised and scarred bodies tell their story and it is not a pretty one.

When these lives coming crashing together anything might happen. Only one thing is certain...the truth must come out and when it does, things are going to get uglier.

Painfully honest...the book examines what goes on behind closed doors in some families. Looks at the "system" that's meant to protect and safeguard children when their parents don't.

[Tiffany Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Running from Solace
Author: Nakia Laushaul
Rating: 5
Headline: Heartbreaking but Powerful!

As a young girl, Naomi has a life that none of us would like to experience. Her mother is a drug addict who often “lends” Naomi to her dealers to supply her habit. Even if you are not a child of abuse and/or neglect, the young girl’s pain can be understood as Nakia Laushaul’s writing technique pulls you in and forces you to feel as in your Naomi’s shoes. As an adult, Naomi’s demons still seem to haunt her and she is forced to face them when she meets a young boy by the name of Xavier. Will Naomi continue to run or will she finally find solace?

I kept hearing about this book, Running from Solace and I wanted to see for myself if it would live up to the hype. To say that it lived up the hype would be a huge understatement because it is very rare that within one book I feel the range of emotions as I did while reading Nakia Laushaul’s words. I was literally drained at various times from being upset, disgusted, sad, gratified, and then feeling joy. Any book that can make you genuinely feel this wide range of emotions sets itself apart from others that are currently on the market. Running from Solace is Nakia Laushaul’s debut novel but I am confident in saying that she will become a force within the literary world.

[Flashette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family ties that bind...

Naomi, Mona and Lenora are three women living different lives. Naomi, a young wife is afraid of her own shadow. She is tormented by demons from her past. This torment is causing strain in her marriage because she is unable to fully open up to her husband Jake. Mona is a young single mother who loves her children but doesn't know how to show it. Instead of hugs and kisses, she smothers them with bruises and verbal abuse. Lenora is on her way to becoming an associate pastor at one of the fastest growing churches. With her husband by her side, she is poised and full of the Spirit. As readers soon learn, she is full of something else too.

Three women, three lives all touched by the hands of abuse. These women can not heal until they learn to forgive and let go of their past. Will they be able to heal or will they harbor hate in their hearts for the rest of their lives?

Nakia Laushaul has written a page-turner that immediately draws the reader into the lives of these women. The plot is engaging and the characters are well developed. By the end, the reader is wondering who the real victims are and if there is healing after abuse. A brilliant story. I look forward to reading more by this author!

[Lashanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is child abuse a generational curse? Do hurt people really hurt people? This is a book that makes you really look at child abuse and view it from a different perspective. Naomi was abused as a child. Thanks to a "nosey" neighbor, she was removed from her mother's care and raised in the foster care system. As an adult, she worked as a social worker. She was called out to a case. Upon talking with the young boy, Xavier, she felt an immediate connection to him. The events following this case brought up old memories and caused some life changes for Naomi. She was forced to face some demons from her past.

I was pulled in from the first page. Running from Solace takes you on an emotional journey. You will feel a range of emotions. Each character has a story to tell. Laushul did an excellent job of introducing the characters and tying things together without losing you. I highly recommend this book.

[McGuffy Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her debut novel, Nakia gave voice to the many people who silently live through childhood abuse. She does this very sincerely and genuinely. Nakia R. Laushaul bravely takes on subject matter that is difficult. She is straight-forward and real in her writing.

From the beginning, you are drawn into the tormented life of little Naomi. Wanting love and acceptance, what she receives is abuse and pain. That Naomi survives is the ultimate reward for the reader, as well as for Naomi herself. One can never get over abuse, but one can get through it and survive it.

The characters are so honest and real that they will stay with you long after you close the book. While it is a painful story to read, it is an important and powerful book. Nakia Laushaul reminds us that if we let it, what does not kill us can indeed makes us stronger.

[Melinda Lang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a very disturbing read - child abuse at its worst. I was engaged (albeit horrified) through the first half of the book but then the overbearing religious references paired with the main character Naomi's weird and absent husband, I started to lose interest. Naomi has a well-deserved breakdown about midway through the book that was never addressed by her husband, while he was off with church people and then taking calls from women in the middle of the night. The ending had potential as all of the characters were then linked together by one person - the crazy and abusive mother- but it proved to be the most far-fetched, coming-to-Jesus, hard-to-believe events that I've ever read in a novel. It was as cheesy as a Lifetime movie.

[*~CONN!3~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I applaud the author 4 such a gripping and mos def engaging heart shattering story. This was such a domino affect 4rm one generation of sexual, mental, and physical abuse 2 another.....so many innocent lives taken under hostage of this, souls tormented, stolen and torn. I felt that moment when Naomi had her release 4rm yrs of pain trapped within herself, scared and wanting 2b free of it.... when she let go and let GOD, this was a 5 Star read....it's so sad that there are lives that suffer this daily in such a manner, that what is RUNNING 4RM SOLACE? This is what they kno. When all the ever wanted was taught how 2b & loved.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In all honesty, this was a tough read. Generational abuse, the shortcomings of the foster system contrasted against the necessity and benefit of such a system, vicious cycles of violence and so much more. It is a painful story. But it was grasping and continually held me attentive, wanting to know more about the inner workings of Mona, her son (and children) and the CPS staff woman who unknowingly became wrapped up in a case which would reveal painful truths from her own past, requiring her to confront the pain and hurt from years of her own abuse.

Truly, the story lines and three narrators of this story and the turns the story takes to tie them all together are absolutely gripping.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story!! The author deals with a difficult subject with great understanding and compassion, fleshing out the characters so completely that you feel like you know them. And the redemption scene is so descriptive and full of emotion that it had me in tears. I could literally feel Naomi's deeply-rooted pain, fear and subsequent deliverance because it's written as if from a firsthand experience with feeling and hearing God for the first time. It's a wonderful and beautifully written story.

[Jerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Running from Solace was an excellent read. I found myself engrossed in the story from the minute I began reading it. The book deals with child abuse and its lifelong ramifications to abusers and victims alike. My only complaint is that the author seemed to rush the conclusion of the book, neglecting to explore some relationships and the characters' personal healing journeys, choosing instead to tie neat and predictable ribbons in order to close the story out. Still, I will be recommending this book to my reading circle. I look forward to more books from Ms. Lashaul.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nakia Laushaul has given the world the story of Naomi, who struggles through her adult life under the burden of the abuse she suffered as a child. It affects the way how she interacts with all who cross her path, including her husband. It motivates her into choosing a career where she hopes she will help protect other children from the same experiences she went through, but in doing so it forces her to confront her past and acknowledge its impact on her present.

How will she fare? Take a trip down this intense and highly emotional road and see for yourself!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book. The author does an excellent job in bringing you into the lives of the characters. When reading I experience several emotions. The story was so real and I can relate so well. In ministering to women as well as experiencing my self, emotional and physical abuse leads to confusion and uncertainty as to who you are. It leaves emotional scars that only God can heal. Thanks so much to the author and we look forward to many more great books.

[Kevin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books started off really good. About half way through it turned into a Tyler Perry movie. While I like some of his stuff it just wasn't what I thought this book was going to be. Over all good writing style and a talented author, just not what I was expecting after reading the first chapter sample.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good, but it's got some graphic scenes in it that can be difficult to read through. I also could have gone for a more powerful ending. There are some really intense moments in here, and I didn't think the end really lived up to it's potential. Still enjoyed the book, overall. It's covers subjects that are probably not talked about enough.

[Gordon Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not an author nor an expert but I think one of the things that makes for a great book is how it captures the reader. If you can make that reader jump in their seat, keep a lump in their throat and actually feel compassion for your characters I think you've done a mighty fine job.

I read this book a few years back and STILL have sympathy for the main character. It's worth the read.

[Cea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew my mind from the first chapter to the last. It took me on an array of emotions that I haven't felt in a while. I highly recommend this book as it touches on subjects that many choose to sweep under the carpet. If I could give this book 6 stars I would...AWESOME read!

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author writes a story and gives a voice for far too many victims of abuse. There are times when I had to put the book down because the story had me in tears. This is an excellent read. I
highly reccommend this book.

[Shawanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Running from Solace is hard to put down. One of the best books I have read in a long time. This book is very different from the books I usually read but it kept my attention the entire time. I recommend this book without a doubt!

[Adrienne Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is definitely one to watch. Running From Solace is a must read, one of the best books I've read in a long while. I didn't want to put it down and I didn't want it to end. Kudos to Ms.Laushaul. Can't wait to read more from her!

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read! Very compelling. Could not put the thing down. Look forward to your next one Thank You !!!

[Orsayor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for OOSA Bookclub - The Book was so GOOD - I bought a copy on my Kindle... Best Book of 2011!!! I highly recommend this book!!!

[Huls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent job, well written.I was in tears from beginning to end. I fell in luv with Xavier. Looking forward to many more reads.

[Delonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star Read!

[Nk Peoples · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished reading Running From Solace on my Kindle earlier this month and all I can say is WOW. Absolutely love this book!!!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best book I read in a long time. I wish I could have given it more than 5 stars. IT IS A MUST READ.