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Evelyn Evolving: A Novel Of Real Life
At just 4 years old, Evelyn Gundrum’s happy world is turned upside down. Abandoned by her mother, she is shipped to an orphanage run by the terrifying Sister Honora. Evelyn grows up amidst hardship and heartbreak, plagued by unresolved emotions that follow her into adulthood as she seeks answers in a sea of questions. Will her uncertain path to self-discovery lead to happiness? Evelyn Evolving is a heartfelt story of one woman’s journey through some of life’s most difficult trials, a coming-of-age that readers won’t soon forget. Maryann Miller captures the spirit of a woman who refuses to be defeated with great tenderness and, what’s more, enduring hope. — Kristy Woodson Harvey, bestselling author of Slightly South of Simple
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2019
60 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Maryann Miller
48 books552 followersMaryann Miller writes the critically acclaimed Seasons Mystery Series that debuted with Open Season, and continued with Stalking Season, Desperate Season, and the recently released Brutal Season.
See all of her titles at her Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Maryann-Miller...
Follow her there and on Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marya...
Miller has received the Page Edwards Short Story Award. Placed first in the screenwriting competition at the Houston Writer's Conference. Was a semi-finalist at Sundance and in the Chesterfield Screenwriting Competition.
For fifteen years she was the theatre director at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts, where she directed adult and youth productions and coordinated the annual Kidzz On Stage Summer Drama Camp.
Miller also likes to be onstage and has appeared in numerous productions. Her most recent role was Big Mama in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
When not working or playing on stage, Miller enjoys reading and quilting and coloring. She lives in Texas with one dog, and four cats. The cats rule.
See all of her titles at her Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Maryann-Miller...
Follow her there and on Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marya...
Miller has received the Page Edwards Short Story Award. Placed first in the screenwriting competition at the Houston Writer's Conference. Was a semi-finalist at Sundance and in the Chesterfield Screenwriting Competition.
For fifteen years she was the theatre director at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts, where she directed adult and youth productions and coordinated the annual Kidzz On Stage Summer Drama Camp.
Miller also likes to be onstage and has appeared in numerous productions. Her most recent role was Big Mama in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
When not working or playing on stage, Miller enjoys reading and quilting and coloring. She lives in Texas with one dog, and four cats. The cats rule.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 14, 2020
This isn’t a fairytale or a sugary romance; it is a novel told with a gut-wrenching clarity from real life events. Whose life? The author’s mother’s and by the end, it dovetails into the author’s own. Be prepared to keep turning the pages once you open the cover of this poignant book—little Evelyn and her older sister’s plights grip your heart from the first page. Their heartbreaking childhoods, moving from their mother’s partial abandonment—to the care of a kind lady who becomes ill—to total abandonment once placed in an orphanage. The orphanage is run by severe and often abusive nuns. Evelyn and Viola come of age with still more twists leading to their mother reentering their lives. Hope warms the reader’s heart, even as trepidation warns more is to come. I don’t like to give spoilers in my reviews. You need to read this novel. The end is a beautiful application of grace from a loving heart instead of a bitter one. Maryann achieves an honest and poignant homage to her mother. Don’t miss this one. It deserves 5 stars.
July 21, 2019
Very, very compelling!
A poignant story that demonstrates, through real experiences, how much our choices matter, both to ourselves and our families, especially our children. From childhood to adulthood, one generation to the next, the reader sees a cycle of hurt that persists its tragic rotation, breaking lives anew with every miserable turn. It gives one pause to think on one's decisions, how imperative it is to consider their short and long-term consequences. In addition, as a Catholic Christian, I must further add my sadness at how miserably the Church has failed so many people, notably the young and most vulnerable. For goodness sake: Nuns and priests are not unaccountable to God merely by virtue of the cloth; they cannot do evil with impunity--no one can and that is a biblical fact! Confession does not grant forgiveness for wilful, unrepentant wrongdoing, and the Church is not a magical place that saves simply from rote attendance. Yet, so many believe this, in large part due to bad instruction and the sinful example shown by some leaders--a fact this book clearly illustrates. 'Tis downright damaging and shameful! I may only hope and pray that this author and her family finds the truth of God's love, and healing for their hearts and souls. If this well-written book is any indication, perhaps Maryann is well on her way!
A poignant story that demonstrates, through real experiences, how much our choices matter, both to ourselves and our families, especially our children. From childhood to adulthood, one generation to the next, the reader sees a cycle of hurt that persists its tragic rotation, breaking lives anew with every miserable turn. It gives one pause to think on one's decisions, how imperative it is to consider their short and long-term consequences. In addition, as a Catholic Christian, I must further add my sadness at how miserably the Church has failed so many people, notably the young and most vulnerable. For goodness sake: Nuns and priests are not unaccountable to God merely by virtue of the cloth; they cannot do evil with impunity--no one can and that is a biblical fact! Confession does not grant forgiveness for wilful, unrepentant wrongdoing, and the Church is not a magical place that saves simply from rote attendance. Yet, so many believe this, in large part due to bad instruction and the sinful example shown by some leaders--a fact this book clearly illustrates. 'Tis downright damaging and shameful! I may only hope and pray that this author and her family finds the truth of God's love, and healing for their hearts and souls. If this well-written book is any indication, perhaps Maryann is well on her way!
July 13, 2019
After finishing Evelyn Evolving, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The beginning concentrates on the life of Evelyn’s mother, a woman who consistently makes bad decisions, including abandoning her two daughters to a Catholic orphanage run by cruel nuns. At that point, the book reads like a Dickens novel in the harsh and brutal treatment of the young sisters, especially Evelyn. I don’t want to tell too much of the story so it doesn’t spoil the read.
Based on a real person, the author Maryann Miller’s mother, we see how religion, guilt, and the belittling she encountered as a child follows her through life, in her marriage and ultimately how she deals with her own children. The sister has her own problems. I wish I knew more about what happens to her.
It says a lot about the way children are treated and how it shapes their lives. Ms. Miller’s well-written novel will stay with you long after you read the last page. Brava. Five stars all the way.
Based on a real person, the author Maryann Miller’s mother, we see how religion, guilt, and the belittling she encountered as a child follows her through life, in her marriage and ultimately how she deals with her own children. The sister has her own problems. I wish I knew more about what happens to her.
It says a lot about the way children are treated and how it shapes their lives. Ms. Miller’s well-written novel will stay with you long after you read the last page. Brava. Five stars all the way.
August 9, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It reads like a novel, but it's really the story of the author's mother's life, a difficult and challenging life that started with being abandoned at an orphanage and included early pregnancy--with the only alternative back then to be marriage, whether the decision was a good one or not--and the struggles of young motherhood when you've had no role model yourself to learn from. Heartbreaking and evocative, and told in an easy narrative style that kept me turning the pages.
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March 22, 2020A heartbreaking story of survival. At an early age, Evelyn was abandoned at an orphanage and abused by the staff. She struggled to overcome the damage the rest of her life.
It's also a story of the failure of church to supervise those in charge of the vulnerable, to teach about the love of God instead of focus on sin and damnation. What God meant for healing - the church - was used as a weapon against this child.
It's also a story of the failure of church to supervise those in charge of the vulnerable, to teach about the love of God instead of focus on sin and damnation. What God meant for healing - the church - was used as a weapon against this child.
July 7, 2019
Great story
It sounds like fiction but so many children experienced this problem,it is very well written and once I started reading i had to finish it.
It sounds like fiction but so many children experienced this problem,it is very well written and once I started reading i had to finish it.
October 23, 2022
Since an author shouldn't review her own book, I will refrain from doing so, but I would like to let readers know a little bit of how the book came to be.
First, this is the story of my mother's life, fictionalized in places because some things were never known for sure - like the circumstances of why her father disappeared when she was about 3 years old. I've always wanted to write her story. Partly because it is so complicated and how she grew up influenced how she was as a mother. She had a difficult childhood, raised in an orphanage with abuses heaped on her, while always wondering why her mother abandoned her. Life continued to batter her throughout her adulthood, and she often wavered, but never went down for the count.
I don't want to give the whole story away here, so I will only say that despite her flaws and failings, I always saw my mother as a very strong women, and I wrote this book to celebrate her strength.
Thank you to the many readers who have purchased the book and kept it high in the rankings at Amazon, often putting it in the top ten spot in several categories.
First, this is the story of my mother's life, fictionalized in places because some things were never known for sure - like the circumstances of why her father disappeared when she was about 3 years old. I've always wanted to write her story. Partly because it is so complicated and how she grew up influenced how she was as a mother. She had a difficult childhood, raised in an orphanage with abuses heaped on her, while always wondering why her mother abandoned her. Life continued to batter her throughout her adulthood, and she often wavered, but never went down for the count.
I don't want to give the whole story away here, so I will only say that despite her flaws and failings, I always saw my mother as a very strong women, and I wrote this book to celebrate her strength.
Thank you to the many readers who have purchased the book and kept it high in the rankings at Amazon, often putting it in the top ten spot in several categories.
May 14, 2020
This isn’t a fairytale or a sugary romance; it is a novel told with a gut-wrenching clarity from real life events. Whose life? The author’s mother’s and by the end, it dovetails into the author’s own. Be prepared to keep turning the pages once you open the cover of this poignant book—little Evelyn and her older sister’s plights grip your heart from the first page. Their heartbreaking childhoods, moving from their mother’s partial abandonment—to the care of a kind lady who becomes ill—to total abandonment once placed in an orphanage. The orphanage is run by severe and often abusive nuns. Evelyn and Viola come of age with still more twists leading to their mother reentering their lives. Hope warms the reader’s heart, even as trepidation warns more is to come. I don’t like to give spoilers in my reviews. You need to read this novel. The end is a beautiful application of grace from a loving heart instead of a bitter one. Maryann achieves an honest and poignant homage to her mother. Don’t miss this one. It deserves 5 stars. (I read the ebook)
April 9, 2020
Disappointment can't begin to explain all the circumstances POOR EVELYN finds herself in.
The story begins when her and sister Viola were abandoned as children by their mother. Their journey takes them from an older caretaker to an abusive, horrid orphanage. POOR EVELYN makes her way to a kind household as a servant in her mother's town of Detroit. From there, she finds herself in her first love interest and constant failed efforts to reconnect emotionally with her mother.
POOR EVELYN experiences an unconventional, unplanned marriage as she is with child. The first baby comes along in a rocky relationship, then the second child. All the while, the one person she depended on all her life, Viola, proves to be a constant letdown.
Read on to find out if POOR EVELYN ever finds the fulfillment and happiness she has so longed for. I found this book a real page turner, hope you do too!
The story begins when her and sister Viola were abandoned as children by their mother. Their journey takes them from an older caretaker to an abusive, horrid orphanage. POOR EVELYN makes her way to a kind household as a servant in her mother's town of Detroit. From there, she finds herself in her first love interest and constant failed efforts to reconnect emotionally with her mother.
POOR EVELYN experiences an unconventional, unplanned marriage as she is with child. The first baby comes along in a rocky relationship, then the second child. All the while, the one person she depended on all her life, Viola, proves to be a constant letdown.
Read on to find out if POOR EVELYN ever finds the fulfillment and happiness she has so longed for. I found this book a real page turner, hope you do too!
August 13, 2019
Disappointing
This book started out good then went down hill, it was based on a true story so not much could have been changed. It could have been told better, it was long and drawn out at times, then rushed at others. The ending was The worst so abrupt. Like I said, Disappointing!!
This book started out good then went down hill, it was based on a true story so not much could have been changed. It could have been told better, it was long and drawn out at times, then rushed at others. The ending was The worst so abrupt. Like I said, Disappointing!!
January 18, 2020
Interesting but ...
I felt Evelyn's pain and sorrow. I felt her ups and downs. However, I turned the page and the without warning the story ended. Abruptly. There followed a summary page and that was it.
I felt Evelyn's pain and sorrow. I felt her ups and downs. However, I turned the page and the without warning the story ended. Abruptly. There followed a summary page and that was it.
January 11, 2022
Oh, The Pain We Often Feel!
Evelyn and her sister were surrendered to an orphanage because their father did nothing to support the family and the mother had no way to feed and clothe the children. The girls were taken to a place where punishment was readily given out, but no love was distributed. The girls were liberally punished for small offenses, and frequently had little to eat and only rags to wear. The orphanage closed down and they were separated and sent to homes where they were treated worse. The only way out was to age out or marry. With no example of what good parenthood should be, they were ill prepared for life. They left their children home alone, withheld food, and abused their children. Read this book about how the children were treated and how they came to treat their own children. The author did a very good job of presenting this account. I cannot say I enjoyed the book, but I encourage you to read the book if you are interested in stopping the cycle of abuse.
Evelyn and her sister were surrendered to an orphanage because their father did nothing to support the family and the mother had no way to feed and clothe the children. The girls were taken to a place where punishment was readily given out, but no love was distributed. The girls were liberally punished for small offenses, and frequently had little to eat and only rags to wear. The orphanage closed down and they were separated and sent to homes where they were treated worse. The only way out was to age out or marry. With no example of what good parenthood should be, they were ill prepared for life. They left their children home alone, withheld food, and abused their children. Read this book about how the children were treated and how they came to treat their own children. The author did a very good job of presenting this account. I cannot say I enjoyed the book, but I encourage you to read the book if you are interested in stopping the cycle of abuse.
August 23, 2021
I feel for the author to have been through such a hard life. Am sure it was therapeutic to write about it. As a reader, I have to say it was not my kind of story, not one I found anything enlightening, surprising or compelling in. I had it on my kindle for travel and it was written well enough that it filled the time on planes, but by the second half of the book I felt like I was reading a sad journal, and that feeling was all I felt about it right to the end.
October 20, 2022
Beautiful but sad story.
This is a real down to earth story with lots of love interwoven throughout. The characters are so real and lovable and well chosen and very strong people who were willing to share their lives together. It is based on true historical events and comes over in many sad moments and heartbreak. But through the whole tale many wonderful bits of love and compassion and courage are there.
This is a real down to earth story with lots of love interwoven throughout. The characters are so real and lovable and well chosen and very strong people who were willing to share their lives together. It is based on true historical events and comes over in many sad moments and heartbreak. But through the whole tale many wonderful bits of love and compassion and courage are there.
November 15, 2022
Tender mercy comes to mind when I think of Maryann Miller's love story to her mother. This is a sad tale of a child abused at the hand of the religious who warped her mind and her soul for a lifetime. Yet, the daughter of this flawed woman found within herself an understanding of her own abuse and forgiveness. A story well-told that offers readers a way to look at their upbringing in a new and forgiving light.
April 28, 2021
Enjoyed the development of characters.
I enjoy following the development of the characters and was left wondering what happened to Evelyn’s children. Showed how toxic childhood influences formation of adult behavior.
I enjoy following the development of the characters and was left wondering what happened to Evelyn’s children. Showed how toxic childhood influences formation of adult behavior.
January 21, 2022
My Musings
This was such a sad book, and I didn't realize until the end it's based on the author's mother and her life. It was hard to become truly engaged since it's more telling than showing. Happy reading!
This was such a sad book, and I didn't realize until the end it's based on the author's mother and her life. It was hard to become truly engaged since it's more telling than showing. Happy reading!
March 17, 2020
Unbeliever
Life can be a tuff. Sometimes we have to be tuff and make decisions to make it through life. Evelyns life then is no different then a lot of women's lives now.
Life can be a tuff. Sometimes we have to be tuff and make decisions to make it through life. Evelyns life then is no different then a lot of women's lives now.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews