Nickels: a tale of dissociation [Paperback]

Christine Stark (Author), Anya Achtenberg (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 7, 2011

"...a perfect genius that makes the impossible in expression, possible; the unknowable in experience, knowable"
--Anya Achtenberg, author of The Stories of Devil-Girl

Nickels follows a biracial girl named "Little Miss So and So", from age 4-1/2 into adulthood. Told in a series of prose poems, Nickels' lyrical and inventive language conveys the dissociative states born of a world formed by persistent and brutal incest and homophobia. The dissociative states enable the child's survival and, ultimately, the adult's healing. The story is both heartbreaking and triumphant. Nickels is the groundbreaking debut of Minneapolis-area author and artist Christine Stark.

"Christine Stark has crafted a language and a diction commensurate with the shredding of consciousness that is a consequence of childhood sexual abuse. She brings us a wholly original voice in a riveting novel of desperation and love. Every sentence vibrates with a terrible beauty. Every sentence brings the news."
--Patricia Weaver Francisco, author of Telling: A Memoir of Rape and Recovery

"To be taken into the mind of a child can be an enchanting adventure, but to be taken into the mind of a child who is abused, confused, and taken for granted is a lingering, livid journey. I applaud her fortitude to bring an olden--too long ignored-- truth out of the darkness with blazing, innovative light."
--MariJo Moore, author of The Diamond Doorknob

"In Nickels, Christine Stark, powerfully portrays the story of abuse and its impact on our lives. When this beautifully written and compelling story leaves, you are left wanting more. It's riveting; a book that will capture you from the beginning and carry you through the end. Everyone should read this book."
--Olga Trujillo, author of The Sum of My Parts

From the Reflections of America Series at Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com

Learn more at www.ChristineStark.com

FIC044000 Fiction : Contemporary Women
FIC018000 Fiction : Lesbian
SOC010000 Social Science : Feminism & Feminist Theory

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Modern History Press (August 7, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 161599050X
• ISBN-13: 978-1615990504
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,170,298 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down., November 3, 2011

By 

Shamai Currim (Lachine QC Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nickels: a tale of dissociation (The Reflections of America Series) (Hardcover)

Today I read a book that touched down to my very soul. It took me on a journey of healing, through the back alley, through the pain of truth of abuse as a book has never taken me before. Nickels, written by Christine Stark, is a masterpiece of writing and a timeless effort to reach out to the unknowing, in an attempt to help them to understand that beneath the surface of perfection there is a world of hatred and anger and abuse and unconsciousness, a world in which women have no rights and are treated like a piece of junk, to be used and then thrown away. In a constant stream of thought Little Miss so and so remembers, and in doing so, we go with her on a life journey of incestual abuse and degradation of self as a human female being, only a small child when it all began. With raw emotions she breaks us open to the experience of what it is like to be locked in a dissociative mind as all parts vie for attention.

Abuse touches us all at the very core of our existence. It takes over our every day attempts at fitting into a world in which only the innocent can remain unconscious. While there are certainly men who have been abused, it is to the women that Christine brings this story, hoping to bring awareness of the rich inner world created by those who have been neglected and abused, and also the feelings of shame and powerlessness that one can heal from. Christine reminds us that the only way to heal is to speak, and the only way healing can occur is if there is someone there to listen.

This book can be very triggering, as well as confirming, to survivors, and can be a wealth of knowledge to the uninitiated and therapists who work with those who have been through the horrors of abuse.

Shamai Currim PhD

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing first novel!, September 4, 2011

By 

A. Simonton (Santa Cruz, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nickels: a tale of dissociation (The Reflections of America Series) (Hardcover)

This book reads more like a thriller than a memoir or a novel about growing up. It takes you inside the world of a young girl in a way few books are able to do. I found it very difficult to put down. Below is one review I totally agree with.

"This is the book we've been waiting for. Christine Stark has crafted a language and a diction commensurate with the shredding of consciousness that is a consequence of childhood sexual abuse. She brings us a wholly original voice in a riveting novel of desperation and love. Stark enables the reader to inhabit the intricacy and chaos of this potent inner landscape, and we have not seen this before. Every sentence vibrates with a terrible beauty. Every sentence brings the news." - Patricia Weaver Francisco, Telling: A Memoir of Rape and Recovery

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book - really!, December 8, 2011

By 

Melinda - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nickels: a tale of dissociation (The Reflections of America Series) (Hardcover)

I recommend this book without reservation. It is first and foremost a beautifully written work of literature - a novel in the "tradition" of breaking through the barriers of style and significance adopted by current literary standards. The author has invented an altogether new language for conveying layers of memory and complexity of character. Neurolinguistics is a relatively new discipline, one that would surely appreciate this ingenious language of memory, paradoxically plain and richly nuanced, weaving metaphor with common threads of daily survival. Among many recurring images that serve to coalesce and bind the passage of time and event is the red ribboned thread.

The style of Nickels is uniquely suited to the content. It is the story of Little Miss So-and-So, who is viciously incested for most of the years of her childhood. It tells the story of survival through dissociation. It lays bare the flesh and bones of the child's reality and its transformation through that child's creative adaptation in a world of unimaginable and inimitable beauty. Yes - beauty. The splendor of a soul that survives horrific abuse and discovers the beauty that lives in her own spirit - the spirit of her Native American ancestors, the spirit of her artistry, the spirit of her strong athletic body transforming years of betrayal. It is the story of a burgeoning artist, the tale of a young lesbian's exploration of her incipient sexuality. It tells. It tells in words and in the silence between them.

Thank you Christine Stark for this marvelous book - it is a revelation. To lovers of literature and of truth: read this book!

--Mel