Nothing can rescue her until she decides to rescue herself.
Kathy loses touch with the faith she was brought up with as she attempts to find her way in the world, leaving her stable roots for adventure and romance. Despite a spiritual prophecy, self-defeating detours take her through a series of heartbreaking events.
When her second husband Dan's verbal abuse escalates, Kathy finally realizes she must escape before she and her children become a statistic.
How does a young woman from a stable, loving family make so many wise choices when it comes to career, but so many poor choices when it comes to love? Her life and the lives of her two children hinge on her choices and the answers she finds.
Join Kathleen Pooler on her roller-coaster ride of self-discovery, from shame and guilt to inner strength, in her tears-to-triumph story.
“Good girl travels a rocky road to become a strong woman. Kathleen Pooler's experience and insights capture the essence of an era, and this crisply written volume will inspire any reader.”
—Sharon Lippincott, author of The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing“In this stunning debut work, Kathleen Pooler travels back in time to try to understand why, and in the process provides us with a deep well of wisdom—and a cautionary tale that will resonate with every woman."
—Lynne M. Spreen, author of Dakota Blues“Kathy’s journey opened me to grieve more for my own and my life is clearer to me now. Ever Faithful has been and still is a priceless gift.”
—Doreen Cox, author of Adventures in Mother Sitting and A Sacred Journey“If you have ever despaired as a parent or partner, knowing you have made a wrong choice but not knowing how to move forward, you will find courage, hope, and strength in these pages.”
—Shirley Showalter, author of Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World“From the first scene of Pooler escaping from an abusive relationship with her two children, I was hooked. She invited me on her journey of self-discovery in descriptive, yet austere prose. I was simultaneously empathetic and inspired by the author’s search for courage and then her discovery that she already had it—she merely had to look within. I eagerly await a sequel—there simply has to be one.”
—Saloma Miller Furlong, author of Why I Left the Amish: A Memoir and Bonnet Strings: An Amish Woman's Ties to Two Worlds“Kathleen Pooler’s memoir examines the role of denial and magical thinking that many readers will find familiar and shows how her commitment to her faith ultimately sustained and released her.”
—Maureen Murdock, author of Unreliable Truth: On Memoir and Memory and The Heroine’s Journey“Kathy Pooler’s memoir is a must read for all women, especially those who find themselves in abusive relationships and who hold on to the belief that 'Prince Charming' will rescue them, and bring love, happiness, and a fairy-tale life.”
—Sonia Marsh, author of Freeways to Flip-Flops: A Family's Year of Gutsy Living on a Tropical Island, My Gutsy Story® Anthology: True Stories of Love, Courage and Adventure From Around the World“Ever Faithful to His Lead is a moving memoir that will fill you with dread as you realize along with Kathy what she has let happen—succumbing not only to one abusive, unhealthy relationship but to two—and with relief as we learn how she has finally come to understand the dynamics of her life—and to make good.”
—Denis Ledoux, memoir writing coach, editor, founder of The Memoir Network, and author of Turning Memories in to Memoirs: A Handbook for Writing Lifestories“Reading this memoir filled me with awe at the turns that life can take, leading us in directions quite different from the goals we were aiming to achieve.”
—Jerry Waxler, writing coach and author of The Memoir Revolution“Kathy Pooler’s memoir is a life-changing story of courage, hope, and personal growth as she makes her way through two abusive marriages, to believing in herself, her own wisdom, and her ability to live her life on her own terms.”
—Joan Z Rough, Blogger and Memoir Writer“Kudos to Kathy for writing about her brave story her cherished career as a nurse, and finally find the happiness she desired after two failed marriages.”
—Madeline Sharples, author of Leaving the Hall Light On
Kathleen Pooler is an author and a retired Family Nurse Practitioner who began writing at the age of eight when she crafted plays to act out in front of her maternal grandmother, Nan, and her Italian lady friends. She believes writing her memoirs about how the power of hope through her faith in God helped her transcend two abusive marriages, divorce, single parenting, a substance-addicted son, cancer, and heart failure to find a life of peace and joy. She hopes to increase awareness about domestic abuse and reach women who are searching for their inner strength to find freedom from abuse. Her forty-four year nursing background as well as her own personal experiences of getting into and out of two emotionally abusive marriages lend credibility to her messages of the hope, resilience and courage it takes to claim and honor one’s own voice.
Her two memoirs, Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse and its sequel, Hope Matters: A Memoir of Faith (work-in-progress) both have a Christian theme about the extraordinary events that have occurred in her ordinary life through her faith in God. She explores how her loving Catholic family and her solid nursing career could not rescue her from her own self-defeating behaviors until she decided to rescue herself. Kathleen also has stories in two anthologies, The Woman I’ve Become: 37 Women Share Their Journeys From Toxic Relationships to Self Empowerment (Pat LaPointe, 2012) and My Gutsy Story: True Stories of Love, Courage and Adventure From Around the World (Sonia Marsh, 2013).
She is living a good life now with her husband Wayne. They have a blended family of six adult children, ten grandsons, ages six through twenty-six, and a rambunctious Golden Retriever, Max. They live at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in eastern New York State on the 135-acre land that used to be Wayne’s grandfather’s dairy farm where Wayne grows organic vegetables. When she is not writing, she loves to play the piano, read and play with her grandsons.She blogs weekly at Memoir Writer’s Journey and can be reached via email at krpooler63@gmail.com.
