I don’t do book review, but, as it happens, I have read a few and I would like to review a few. The Atonement Child is one of the most exciting and intriguing stories that I read last year, this is about Dynah a young girl who was raped on her way to school. Passers by who cared called an ambulance and they took her to the hospital. The doctor and nurses wanted to give her some drugs to prevent her from conception, she declined.
Dynah had an excellent relationship with her fiancee Ethan who was an obedient born again Christian preparing to go to the biblical ministry. Ethan had a high standing in the New Life College, and would do almost anything to protect it. The information regarding DYNAH getting raped affected him. He considered her reckless to be walking alone at night and even harassed her verbally despite the fact that it was not in front of her, but his best friend Joe.
Then after some months they found that Dynah was pregnant and they expelled her from school. Despite the fact that the whole school authority realized that she was raped, they expelled her out of school.
It angered Joe that both Ethan and the school management criticized Dynah and he questioned both of them. He could just not understand how Ethan who used to cherish Dynah could say nasty things about her. Ethan continued to see Dynah until he decided he wanted to end the relationship and Dynah moved back with her parents.
Dynah’s condition caused conflict between her parents, who were basically not very much in love with each other. Her father assumed she aborts the child while her mother wanted the child to stay.
Dynah’s grandmother was once an abortion victim. She was so ill when she was younger and took in. They killed the fetus and the baby because the doctor told her to abort the baby saying the chances were slim; she lived with that guilt well into her old age. Dynah’s mother too had a similar bad encounter with her teenage lover and subsequently lost the child to an abortion after the teenager dumped her. That was what caused a distance between herself and her husband.
Her parents eventually accepted that Dynah should abort the child. Dynah also agreed to this to try and make her parents reconcile. However, as she got to the hospital she could not put herself to abort the child.
At this time, Joe was on a pursuit of Dynah. He had this strong feeling in his mind to seach her and to protect her so that she will not do anything that can harm herself.
Dynah had to move out of her parents home because she cannot take it any longer with the conflict between her parents and her Grandma.
Joe later on catches up with Dynah just when she was about to drown her self into the ocean in suicide attempt.
The only man who supported her when she wanted to have a child and he was there with her.
By the time that Dynah went for abortion, the doctor who was supposed to undertake the procedure had many issues at home. He never informed his wife what his job was; and this weighed on him badly. He eventually quit his job.
God had brought Dynah to this doctor, and all the man could see was another opportunity to correct his sins. He became personally involved in Dynah’s delivery, and ensured he followed her up until the time of delivery.
She had a female baby. It meant that this baby could remove the sins of her mother, and even of her grandmother. She later got married to Joe and they lived happily as husband and wife.
I learnt a few things in this story. First of all, people mock and insult you for the things that happen to you even with the fact that it is not your fault. Also, some family members are not really who they say they are; they can betray and abandon you at any given time. I have also realised "family" could be anyone. Sometimes, the people that are of the same blood with you can eventually wish bad for you.
Lastly, there is always that one person who will stand by you no matter how bad the situation is.