Female Genital Mutilation - Is It Pure Fiction?

FROME, U.K. - April 28, 2014 - PRLog -- Susannah Carlton, an independent published author, has chosen the subject of female genital mutilation (FGM) for her new novel ‘Biting the Stick’  released on the 17 April 2014.

Although a fictional story, Susannah believes it will bring some much needed publicity to a cruel and medically unnecessary practice that is deeply embedded into the cultures of many Middle Eastern, Asian and African societies.

In a multi-cultural world, where nations have migrant populations, the practice of female circumcision has reached the shores of a number of Western countries, including the United States, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. This is despite the fact that it is a criminal offence with serious consequences for anyone caught performing the act.

One of the problems with policing the practice is that it often involves the victims reporting family members to the authorities when an offence has been committed. With the possibility of jail terms, for those involved, there is a natural reluctance to point the finger at the guilty, especially when it can be a mother, sister or other close relative.

The societies that practice female genital mutilation widely believe that they are protecting the honour of the girls that are mutilated. It is associated with pre-marital virginity, marital fidelity and ultimately, driven by the beliefs of their culture, that circumcision means they will be clean!

Susannah’s book describes the dilemma faced by a support worker when she stumbles upon a cutting party on a university campus. It describes how the turmoil in the personal life of the support worker, internal politics and the agendas of people in positions of authority all play a part in the decisions she makes and the actions she takes following her discovery. As with most things that have a human aspect, there are complexities and issues that arise which introduce grey into what should be a black and white decision making process.

To an extent the book also sets a scenario that explains the difficulties faced by the authorities when trying to deal with and take action against female genital mutilation.

It is clear that Susannah, in penning this book, sees the damage that FGM is doing to the young girls that fall victim to it, around 140 million worldwide, and has used her book to raise awareness over an issue that has no place in our or any other society. Her work as a counsellor specialising in domestic violence has no doubt fuelled both her knowledge and perspective on the subject.

To find out more about Susannah use this link http://ebookissues.com/author-listing/susannah-carlton-ro... or if you would like further information about her book ‘Biting the Stick’ you can use this link http://ebookissues.com/biting-the-stick-fgm-novel/

The book is available to purchase in paperback or in Kindle format on Amazon using this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JRVTTT6