Life at the End of the Tunnel by Christina Black is her story about her struggles and how she lived through those.
Christina was an adopted child by a family that took her only for the money she will bring after adoption. Turning 18, after going through a period of mental and physical abuse (literally by her big brother), she thought life might get better once she moved out. She couldn't have been more wrong.! After one drunken mistake(more like trusting her family and ending up with a spiked drink), she finds herself married to her neighbor John(twice her age and twice divorced). 2 years, 2 children and so many physical-mental abuses later, she finally got the courage to leave him and get a divorce. But her struggles weren't to end here. She then dated and married some more jerks, who started as the sweetest and nicest guy on earth but turned out more or less the same as John. Billy, her second husband was probably the worst one. Even after separating, he was violent with her to such a degree that he destroyed her car (which was her main source of income) and kidnapped her kids. He was a major life threat to Christina for the longest period. She later met 2 more guys who turned out the same vicious self (I mean why can't people just simply move on? Why so much hate?). The story also talks about Christina's encounter with other-worldly experiences. Since she was a twin, who lost her twin sister at birth, she has always had the sense that her sister is looking out for her. Her encounter with ghosts in her last relationship was kinda chilling.
This book is not the cliche inspiring story about how a woman rose on the occasion and fought the world with her confidence and determination. But a real story of how trapped a person can become and no matter how smart or confident they are, there are things you can not change. This is the aspect I loved the most about the book. IT'S REAL.! When a person has been harassed physically and mentally since they were kids, it affects them as a person and the decisions they make in life. The trauma makes you more accepting and forgiving towards the violent behavior rather than raising your voice against it, just what Christina did. But hey, I am no Psychologist.!
When people say "Life's a struggle, you gotta hustle", it's literally true for our author. Most of her life has been a hustle to put food at the table and save herself and her kids from the violence her husbands/boyfriends inflicted. But she came through and I think that's what's most important. The most heroic thing you can sometimes do is come through the other end of the tunnel, no matter how long and dark it was.
I loved the book through and through. And even though it is an autobiography, the book has been thrilling and unputdownable since the very first page.
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