Surviving Southwood Avenue: A Story of Family Secrets and Resilience

by Melissa Simonye

A Riveting, Heart-Wrenching Novel Based on a True Story of One Family’s StrugglesIn 1920, four-year-old Stella, a shy but vivacious tomboy, lives a seemingly typical life with her parents and three siblings in Columbus, Ohio. Her world changes forever when her mother runs away with a man Stella has never met. Their father panics about raising his children alone, especially with social services threatening to take his kids away. He believes he has no choice but to move them into a boarding house on Southwood Avenue, run by a deeply disturbed woman and her malicious son. Stella and her siblings quickly learn to keep their secrets to themselves, even from their father.
Losing trust in others and surviving the horrors of Southwood Avenue leaves marks on Stella that are more than just physical. Wondering, Why me? Stella grapples with questions no child should ever face.

Surviving Southwood Avenue is an inspiring story of strength and perseverance based on one woman’s extraordinary life.

255 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

About the author

Melissa (McEndree) Simonye is a wife, mother, small business owner, and retired elementary school teacher of twenty-five years. She explored her love for writing in high school by expressing herself through poetry and creative writing. As an educator, her passion was inspiring her students to love reading by sharing authentic literature that spoke to her students’ individuality. Reading about courageous people also fascinated Melissa, especially strong women who made a mark in history. Whenever she can escape her busy life, she exercises, travels, reads books, and writes.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hard to read at times. It is hard to understand why people are cruel to children. What makes some people unable to survive after abuse and others to be able to find happiness, would be interesting to know. This was a good story about mental illness, choices people make when trying to survive, the relationships between siblings and the choice to keep going, to keep finding love and joy. It is a story very well told that honors Stella and the different parts of her life.

[Annette Summerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Grandma's name was Stella.
This was so emotional. I had such a hard time reading about her childhood.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!! This was an incredibly well written book. It was definitely sad and heartbreaking at times, but also an eye opener. The things that Stella had to endure, but how she dealt with them and overcame them were phenomenal. Definitely a great read and well written book

[Wendy Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written debut novel, I enjoyed all of the Columbus and various Ohio references. A book about hard topics, but it was given all of the respect necessary. I would recommend this to other Columbus natives interested in learning about the resilient women who lived here in the 1920s.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review

I will never understand how a parent could walk away from their children and create for themselves a new life. I do understand feeling overwhelmed but how do you upend your child or children's lives in favor of your own desires? I could see it if the parent was abusive or addicted to substances or mentally ill and just isn't capable but to do it for a new boyfriend or girlfriend? No.
The Miller kids were Charles, Eleanor, Bob and Stella. And despite their dad's disgust and hurt over his wife's decision, he essentially does the same thing but for different reasons. He wants to give them all a fresh start and so the father, needing to establish himself at a new place and build a home for his children, brings the kids to live in a boarding home owned by the elderly and mean Mrs Spangler. Initially he rents space for himself also -- only to move on, leaving the children indefinitely and visiting them just on Sundays for dinner. In essence he has done what he was angry at the kids mom for doing. Spangler treats the children nicely only when the kids dad is around.
I won't outline the entire book but for me, something feels lacking. I felt it dragged on at times but the author, Melissa writes very well. I wish I could have rated higher but I didn't feel it would be honest; while at the same time recognizing that others may love it!

[PAMpublish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true story based on the life of the author's grandmother who lived in the early 1900s. When Stella's mother took off for another life, she left her 4 children in the care of their father. Stella, the youngest of 4, lived in a boarding house with a deranged woman and her son over the next several years, surviving terror and abuse from the two with much directed at Stella. Thereafter, Stella lost her older brother to a horrible accident after reuniting with her father. Despite this, Stella somehow survived living well into her 90s. The story is one of resilience, depicting life of growing up in this era. Fortunately, times have changed whereby any number of the multiple abuses directed towards these children then wouldn't be tolerated at the present time. A worthy read for all.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

surviving abuse/making a good life

I’ve read many stories like this, and this was well-written. Not overly graphic or terrifying, but clear enough to read between the lines.
Her grandmother chose to survive, then thrive, then transform her life to one of love. Im so glad the grandmother shared her story—i think abuse happens way more often than we think.

[Marni Pepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic story! So well written that I couldn't put it down. One of the best books I've read in a very long time. I highly recommend it!

[Susana Serna · Rating 3 out of 5]

disturbing. thing have not really changed

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story. But very boring near the end.

[Becky Gilles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad story; poorly written a far as story telling. The paragraphs were like reading bullet points in an outline, skipped huge blocks of time. It was a very short book, probably why I gave it a try.

[Nicole Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Truly a fantastic book of survival. Thank you for sharing your grandmother Stella with me. Stella was an special woman. I hope you write more Melissa.

[Julie Odom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a tear jerker for sure. Extremely difficult topic. It gets rough about halfway through and doesn’t let up.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book. It kept me interested and was a great read!

[Lorrie Kelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be very disturbing. Although it was well written, the storyline was filled with too much mental abuse, as well as physical abuse.