Manipulated Lives by H A Leuschel

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (28 Jun. 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1534708979
• ISBN-13: 978-1534708976
• Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 1.7 x 20.3 cm

Synopsis

Five stories – Five Lives

Have you ever felt confused or at a loss for words in front of a spouse, colleague or parent, to the extent that you have felt inadequate or, worse, a failure? Do you ever wonder why someone close to you seems to endure humiliation without resistance?
Manipulators are everywhere. At first these devious and calculating people can be hard to spot, because that is their way. They are often masters of disguise: witty, disarming, even charming in public – tricks to snare their prey – but then they revert to their true self of being controlling and angry in private. Their main aim: to dominate and use others to satisfy their needs, with a complete lack of compassion and empathy for their victim.

In this collection of short novellas, you meet people like you and me, intent on living happy lives, yet each of them, in one way or another, is caught up and damaged by a manipulative individual. First you meet Tess, whose past is haunted by a wrong decision, then young, successful and well balanced Sophie, who is drawn into the life of a little boy and his troubled father. Next, there is teenage Holly, who is intent on making a better life for herself, followed by a manipulator himself, trying to make sense of his irreversible incarceration. Lastly, there is Lisa, who has to face a parent’s biggest regret. All stories highlight to what extent abusive manipulation can distort lives and threaten our very feeling of self-worth.

Review

Manipulated Lives was a different type of read for me as it has been quite a few years since I have picked up a book of short stories.  I have to say I found it very refreshing, I enjoyed being able to read someone’s complete story in one sitting.  There are five short stories in this book; Tess and the Tattooist, The Spell, Runaway Girl, The Narcissist  and My Perfect Child.. All five tell the story of someone who has either been manipulated or been a manipulator.

My favourite, and the one I felt touched by the most was Tess’s story.  She came across as such an independent elderly lady, polite but lonely and in need of some human interaction.  But, as her relationship with a new nurse develops her story slowly comes out, and there are a few surprises along the way.  Don’t misunderstand me, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the other stories as well, all very different, and  all with the common theme.  The range of ages, from a teenager Holly to the elderly Tess, show that anyone, from any walk of life is open to their emotions being used by others to control.

Helene Leuschel writes these stories with great care and understanding and has obviously researched the subject.  Her writing conveys the full range of human emotions and brings them alive for the reader so they understand what the characters are going through.  I think that many readers, myself included, will relate to something in one of these stories, they really give food for thought. The fluid prose, and wonderful characters make this a pleasure to read.

Manipulate Lives is a wonderful and accomplished set of short stories that will leave you reflecting life and how lives can be damaged by maybe loving too much, trusting too much or simply looking for happiness.  Not all its victims are helpless, they can be strong individuals who find themselves at the a mercy of others who use their emotions against them.  Beautifully written and poignant, these stories are perfect to pick up when you have an hour for yourself or are in between books.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review of Manipulated Lives.  If you have enjoyed my review please could you like and share so that I can continue to grow my blog.  All comments, likes and shares are greatly appreciated. 💗