Breaking The Cycle: A Barrel Child Story

Barrel Child #2

by Pamela K. Marshall

Will and Sara traversed the obstacles of young love, further complicated by distance, parenthood and infidelity. They set aside the immature ideals and attitudes that led to strife and heartache throughout their teenage romance and have grown to learn that love takes conscious effort to endure.

Now settled into a life together, old and new acquaintances threaten to wreck the happy home they have built. Misunderstandings construed as betrayals, mistakes with life-changing consequences and a tragedy that threatens to bring ‘till death do us part’ closer to home than ever imagined will either strengthen or shatter the bound Will and Sara have shared since they were children in Jamaica.

Will and Sara must decide: when love starts to hurt, should it still be clung to, should it still hold two people together? Breaking The Cycle follows the couple’s path to overcome the lingering effects of being barrel children as issues of abandonment and commitment continue to test their relationship. As they come to terms with their issues, can they still find happiness in each other’s arms or will they find it best to part ways and let another mend their hearts?

300 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2014

About the author

Pamela Marshall is originally from Kingston, Jamaica but now lives in Northern Virginia with her family. Barrel Child, published in 2011, is her first book.

Reviews

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was a little skeptical about this book, but then the more I read the more I loved it. Although I am not Jamaican & was totally unfamiliar with the Barrel Child concept I found that there was so much in this book I could relate to & thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Jamaican culture. I will be buying the previous book that goes with this one.

[Ansaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

True love withstands all trials and tribulations.

[Gwyneth Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young married couple with children struggle with years with unresolved issues caused by childhood abandonment that critically affect their prospects of a successful marriage. The book is filled with every layer of family life: half siblings, step parents, cousins and multi-generations.

The book has a lot of heterosexual marital intercourse and parents who try to do the best for their children despite their own personal challenges.

I would put this book in YA as the storytelling is not gratuitous and it provides space for thinking about what adults in business and in relationships can go through and how family members have an impact on each other.

The family homes are in Brooklyn and Irish Town. The family was directly impacted by the 9/11 /2001 terror attacks in New York City.