Behind the Hedge (Paperback)

~ Waneta Dawn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Yearning for a warm and loving marriage, Yvette works hard as a housewife and on their Iowa dairy farm to satisfy her husband, Luke, and tries to motivate him to be a loving and caring husband and father. But hidden behind his charming public facade, Luke is critical and demands more submission. With the help of her friend, Delores, Yvette grapples with the meaning and application of Biblical submission to her husband, changes how she relates to her husband, and endeavors to correct the misbeliefs of their teenaged sons, Greg and Kyle. Luke indoctrinates his wife and children on the meaning of submission and obedience. But one day he goes too far. Will their marriage survive the storm? Will Luke become the warm and loving husband Yvette craves? Will their daughter, Tanya, learn to trust her father? And will their sons become loving and respectful young men? Waneta Dawn grew up on a dairy farm in Kalona, Iowa, and was raised in the Mennonite faith. She currently lives with her daughter and next door to her mother in Iowa. She has researched domestic violence, particularly dominance through verbal, emotional, psychological, and spiritual abuse for over ten years. For two of those years she used curriculum from Duluth, Minnesota to facilitate the Batterer's Education Program, a men's group, which met one evening a week and operated through the Iowa Department of Corrections. Ms Dawn hopes Behind the Hedge will help heal and strengthen relationships to the glory of God.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Xulon Press (September 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600343325
• ISBN-13: 978-1600343322
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,257,039 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quoting the Bible to Justify Spousal Abuse, June 29, 2009

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." -- John 8:44

Many people think of spousal abuse as comprised of beatings and other horrific forms of violence. Yes, those are spousal abuse, but many abusive spouses also use words, threats, emotional distress, economic constraints, and isolation to reduce their partners to near slave-like submission. Behind the Hedge recounts one such story and helps demonstrate that solutions can be difficult.

For Christians, a particular challenge comes when husbands misinterpret the Bible to give them complete and inconsiderate authority over their wives and children. How can a wife prevail in such a circumstance?

Behind the Hedge shows that being more and more submissive doesn't create a solution, but rather encourages more abuse.

Although this book is labeled as a novel, it read more like a Christian marriage manual to me . . . one aimed at wives whose husbands aren't properly playing their God-directed roles to serve the best interests of their families. If you know someone who may be on the receiving end of abuse from a Christian spouse, this book could make a helpful gift. Your prayers will be needed, as well.

Waneta Dawn writes well about her subject. You'll feel the family's pain, and you'll be revolted by what you read. It wasn't easy to make it through this book because the punch line is landed with such authority. Abuse harms everyone who is touched by it.

Does the leopard change his spots? Does the enemy who is in the world stop lying?

Read this book and find out what the lessons are for being on the receiving end of spousal abuse.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Traditional Marriage Advice Doesn't Always Work, September 5, 2008

By	Waneta Dawn "author of Behind the Hedge, A novel" (Kalona, IA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Behind the Hedge" won double awards in the 2008 Christian Choice Book Awards; First place in Christian Fiction and First Runner Up for the Grand Prize.

Rebuffed and criticized at every attempt, Yvette Miller doggedly tries yet another recommended solution for winning her husband's respect and love. When a chance meeting with a friend sheds light on the real problem in her marriage, Yvette begins a shift in her quest that changes the roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, twists and turns she has been on all the years of her marriage. As a result, her relationship with her husband and her three children changes, too.

"Behind the Hedge" is an enlightening novel that provokes readers to reexamine and discuss an issue that is too often either cloaked in silence, or spoken of with justification for the aggressor and condemnation for the wronged party.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is Someone You Care About Experiencing Marital Abuse?, August 23, 2008

By	Jocelyn E. Andersen "Author of Woman Submit! ... (Auburndale, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Are you, or is someone you care about, experiencing marital abuse and you just don't know what to do or how you can help?

In this fictional account of an abusive marriage within a Christian context, Waneta Dawn has done an amazing job of exploring the dynamics of such a relationship (and the effects of it upon the entire family). It is written with God given insight, sensitivity and compassion.

In addition to being a good read (with a completely surprise ending!), the story portrays biblical guidance for women experiencing abuse that has not escalated into violence as yet.

Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence