The Rag Princess-Why A Book About Child Abuse-Emotional and Sexual

The Rag Princess  About Celeste Dusty Reclaiming Her Identity After Taken From Home

Following a tragic accident Celeste needs a new home. She is content living with the Temples-but an estranged Aunt Sylvie,a Lincoln Socialite moves her to her mansion in Lincoln
where she faces emotional and sexual abuse-

The predator is a popular pastor. Or is he bogus?

The other abuser is Aunt Sylvie-

Later Celeste's pretend boyfriend from childhood, a boy who was her best friend's brother, discovers a rag princess turned Cinderella- The ugly duckling has blossomed but remains scarred from years of abuse
A love story ensues in part three, the final half of the book

I chose to write this story due to my work with severely  with abused children. Multiple sclerosis cut my work short. 

 I worked with kids ages three to seventeen. The cases were heinous. Until doing this work, I had no idea how bad it really was. With Celeste's story,  I hoped to teach about the predator and the experience of the child. I included humor in the writing as a means of emotional breaks and because life includes humor. It is one way of coping.

While my work was with the children, I interviewed a male therapist who worked with the perpetrators. I think in order to catch abuse more quickly, the more we know, the faster we can intervene-The perpetrators are slick and good at what they do-using threats, gifts, anger, love, whatever the child buy into. 

Many CHILDREN are afraid to talk and if their abuser is a parent, they feel guilty at the idea of incriminating someone they love-or they believe they are at fault-It wasn't unusual for a mother to blame the daughter-not wanting to believe the man she loves could do this or that her child has been hurt or that the home will be torn apart.

1. Among those I worked with_One child that I saw was beaten so badly by a mother's boyfriend that almost every major bone in his innocent sweet body was broken. 

2.Another child had been strangled by his father. He hid under desks in the classroom and was afraid of everything much like an abused animal.

2. Another girl-came in week after week to talk about what she was doing wrong. It turned out that a very prominent parent was beating her out of rage.

3.With the sexual abuse, I had a child who was being abused by a predator, a friend of the family, while his mother, unaware, made supper in the next room. She thought the man liked her little boy and was playing with him. The same person had him for overnights and took him swimming in his pool where he proceeded to molest him. The young child was attacking other kids sexually.

Celeste, the main character-hopes to make a dent-In a sequel she marries-during the war-PRAIRIE BRIDE- a fun story-

Predator Scene from The Rag Princess by Barb Franzen

The Rag Princess  Just Released on Amazon.com  digital or paperback A scene where the Pastor has harmed twelve year old Celeste, rural farm girl. Following the death of her parents, she goes to lives with socialite Aunt Sylvie of Lincoln Nebraska,-who also places her in the hands of popular Pastor Evan, a child predator. 
The story becomes a love story of hope when the grown, nurse Celeste, runs into Nebraska rancher, a childhood friend-A story of abuse and reclaiming the self. Laughter and tears and hope-a story written with realism in hopes of reducing child abuse- both sexual and emotional-a STORY THAT ENDS WITH  HOPE

     Celeste  felt herself being yanked up to the surface … tossed down on the side of the pool. Struggling, as water and mucus poured from her mouth, she gasped, coughing and gagging, wanting to dash over for her suit. That’s when she saw the blood swirling about in the pool and was struck by overwhelming pain. Her insides were split open, like a knife carving away at her flesh, her precious possession—not his for the taking. He’d taken regardless, having raped her.

She heard him yelling, “You dirtied the water… Here, take this towel,” he said, tossing it and her suit. “You asked for this,” he accused. “No one would ever believe you. Sylvie already knows about tonight. I’m disappointed in you. You let God down. Fighting the way you did, is another sin for you to write down. God expects this to remain secret; it’s his ritual and Wayward Home is waiting for you if you tell. I’m anyone. You are tarnished corruption; there will be no need to come over this summer. You are hopeless. God knows it is your fault.”

                                                       ***

Walking away, doubled over, Celeste felt numb and distanced. The man back there had raped a child, but the child was someone else. Instead, the Pastor had attacked a girl who looked like her while she stood at the edge of the pool watching.

If asked who the girl was, she knew. It just didn’t seem like she had been there.

Pain—that was the other feeling—the pain of rape. Stinging, throbbing, the agonizing rips were unbearable. In a dazed state, her feet walked her to Sylvie’s house. Surely, Sylvie would believe her and offer Celeste her help and comfort. She would remember what Celeste had told her earlier when she asked to stay home. However, her stomach said differently. Stopping, she threw up. Sickened, and smelly, and messy, Celeste was exhausted by the time she reached Sylvie’s. Wanting to lie down in the yard, instead, she went to the back door. Sylvie was in the kitchen making tea.

The sight of arrogant Sylvie revolted her. Why hadn’t Sylvie believed her? Crouched in pain, Celeste watched the lofty aunt turn to face her, walking towards her The woman’s eyes, scornful and appraising, were like a spotlight, revealing Celeste’s faults, blemishes, and imperfections. Wanting to hide the shame in her face, before Sylvie saw her, Celeste’s thin fingers were too slow.

“You there!” Sylvie hissed, staring at Celeste. “You knew there were locks on the gates? Why did you go over there?”

“Y…You said I had to go, “Celeste stuttered.s just been released on Amazon.com as perback or digital