The Safe Room

by Whitney Zahar

Aria photographs abandoned structures and locations—the weirder, the better. Through her lens, she keeps her subjects at a distance. In reality, the cracks in her life are too close, as her beloved twin sister Tam struggles with a lifetime of mental illness. Tam finds refuge on her blog called The Safe Room.


At a stop in Staunton, Virginia, a crumbling building draws Aria in. The haunting building has a dark past. The new subject also piques Tam's interest, as if sensing the depth of a story, and urges Aria to dig deeper.


The more Aria learns, the past encroaches upon her hometown, and she must find ways to raise awareness while creating space for dignity and respect.


The Broken Roses Novella Series is a collection of stories by talented authors on the perseverance and strength of the feminine spirit.

104 pages, ebook

Published June 14, 2021

Reviews

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been enjoying this series of overcoming brokenness and finding a purpose in life, for two twin sisters both had creative outlets but lived very different lives. One was broken on the inside and outside whilst the other was broken on the inside. One chose to show the world her demons whereas the other chose to hide behind a camera and pretend to live a normal life. In The Safe Room, we meet twins April and Tam. Tam has spent her life in and out of the mental institutions/rehab as she has had many failed suicide attempts and feels safer in these four walls. April has dedicated her life to photographing old abandoned buildings and showing her feelings through her photography and art. One day, April receives a phone call from her sister giving her passwords to her blog The Safe Room. Little does she know it will be the last time she hears from her sister. As the rest of the book moves on, April starts to look into Eugenics and the types of therapy that people were given in mental institutions. Reading about Eugenics made me sad and angry as to how dear people who are supposed to be their loved ones take away the decision of them to have a child just because it could have the possibility of genetically inheriting some of their parents' disorders/ disabilities. Today, I also read an article that Britney Spears is trying to get her IUD removed as her father/ a female guardian have conservatorship over and using the IUD as a form of Eugenics since they can control her medical decisions. Yes, I think some people aren't cut out to be parents, but in that case, there are plenty of females who can't have kids and willing to give the children a happy home no matter what, so it is a win-win situation. I don't believe Eugenics should still exist in today's world as if a woman wants to have children- let that be her prerogative. Like my sister is one who had kids yet in the mind of Eugenics, she probably shouldn't have but she did and now they are with people who love them and one of them is with a lady who couldn't have children due to Ovarian Cancer and she loves Geordie like he is her child. If my parents had decided to force my sister not to have children, I wouldn't have two amazing nephews who I love and adore.

[C.D. McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Spoil Free Review*

Wow!!! Wow! Wow!!

This is an incredible tale of history, psychology, and challenging humanity's perception of what we think we know versus the truth.

The writing is incredible. Whitney does an incredible job of bringing the reader face first with Aria's realities, both the beautiful and tragic. As a twin myself, this was an extremely powerful read from just that aspect alone and on a few occasions, I had to stop and reflect on my own relationship with my twin brother.

Do yourself a favor and give this short story a read. It is chilling and incredibly powerful in multiple ways.

[R.S. Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Safe Room by Whitney Zahar is a novella about twin sisters, Aria and Tamara, one of whom suffers from mental illness. The story navigates through the siblings’ relationship and the dark subject at hand. Ultimately, the story brings awareness to an entirely different issue in society. An entire afterword is devoted to the awareness of this issue which most are unfamiliar with. I felt that the writing was brilliant, and it eerily reminded me of the short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

[Terry Hooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

pleasantly surprised

When I picked this book up I did not expect this journey of love through history. I loved the supernatural hints and the well researched history.

[Shayla R · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter was good. The story was fair. What didn’t like was bringing modern day issues into the story and slightly comparing them to eugenics.

[Linette Kasper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zahar did a phenomenal job weaving her fictional tale around a very real and disturbing practice. I was engrossed as much in Aria's story as I was in the history of Western State Hospital. A must-read, informative novella.

[Daniel Bautz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A soft whisper that becomes a roar.

This is a wonderfully crafted novella that explores some uncomfortable ideas. The characters are remarkably human and flawed. Aria and her sister, Tam, have a complicated yet rich relationship. I am looking forward to exploring Whitney Zahar’s work further.