Birdhouse Jesus

<p>At six years old Mary Alice Lydell is consumed by fear. No one can protect her from the monster she cannot name. Even if she understood the monster she couldn't tell Momma or Aunt Jean or her best friend Carolyn because if she did they would know she was bad and wouldn't love her. She sits inside her closet talking to Birdhouse Jesus a crucifix she stole from Aunt Jean hoping he will make Daddy be nice to her and not behave in ways that terrify her. </p><p>In her teens filled with self-loathing Mary Alice falls quickly and deeply in love with a man who touches her gently and makes her feel worthy. Soon she has another secret - and a baby on the way. The baby's father also has a secret: he's married to someone else.</p><p>Family ties - the ones that bind and nurture and the ones that strangle and suffocate - shape Mary Alice's life in profound ways. Although <em>Birdhouse Jesus</em> is a story of trauma and betrayal it is also one of resilience and hope as Mary Alice struggles to become the woman that a part of her has always known she could be. </p>