Ellen Payne’s “Finding Joy” is a poignant account of a woman’s untold sufferings from abuses at home
Every day, different horrifying tales of abuses hog our airwaves and newspaper pages, and they come in many forms — sexual, physical, emotional. Apart from those accounts, there are untold stories as well of people suffering and battling their own share of abuses mostly at home.
Ellen Payne’s memoir, Finding Joy, is a compelling book that captures a woman’s pain from the feelings of sorrow, anger, shame, and frustration. Published by Author Reputation Press, the book chronicles how the woman, named Joy, transcended from being an unwanted part of a household to becoming a valuable part of the society.
Joy suffered herself from various abuses at home during her childhood. The book tells about her struggle to discover love, come to love herself and others, and search for her purpose. In longing to find acceptance from others, she realized how important it is to accept the incredible mix of skills and foibles that combine to bring her joy.
The author, Ellen, is the second of five daughters, born while her father was fighting a war overseas. She grew up in the suburbs and married a farmer, which meant she must adapt to a completely alien culture.
Ellen was widowed at forty-three with three children. She is now a grandmother and has worked in Community Health and as a minister of religion in rural areas of the United Kingdom and Australia. An anti-abuse advocate herself, she has worked with many survivors of multiple abuses for more than 30 years. Her goal is to acknowledge the struggles of these survivors and push them to move forward.
Finding Joy is available to buy via the following links:
