Waking Slow - A Novel By Ioanna Opidee ReleasedSet between Boston and a bucolic Greek island village, "Waking Slow" traces an emotional, psychological, and spiritual quest for identity and understanding.
By: PFP Publishing After having been sexually assaulted, protagonist Irinie "Rinie" Pothos—whose first name means "peace" and last name means "hunger"— craves strength, independence, and clarity. She refuses to wait passively for those states of being and—like water—Rinie transforms. She's able to yield, destroy, obstruct, heal, or nourish—depending on the circumstances and pressures, as well as the status of her intrinsic will. In Rinie's journey, we discover the volatility of a fragile mind that has been shattered by violence and fear. Waking Slow is indeed a tale of lost innocence. Yet, as Rinie explores her magical and mythic heritage, she slowly regains that innocence—along with a newfound resolve and perspective. Her story captures the feelings of desperately wanting to belong, to fit in—to love and be loved. It painfully, yet honestly depicts the unwarranted shame and distrust inherited by the people who have endured these experiences when they dare to seek joy and pleasure again. The redemptive power of Waking Slow—and Rinie—will surprise you. "In early 2016, I received a manuscript which told the story of one woman's sexual assault, the painful and confusing aftermath, and her indirect attempts toward some sort of recovery," publisher Peter Sarno said. "Barack Obama was still President, Harvey Weinstein's only claim to fame was as a successful Hollywood producer, and 'me too' was something my 5-year-old granddaughter might say on a Sunday morning when I told her I was heading out to the neighborhood store for the newspaper. "Waking Slow is a quietly compelling revelation written with no axe to grind and no agenda. Because of another house author's serious illness and subsequent surgery, we were forced to delay the completion of that book and subsequently had to push out the release date of Waking Slow. So, in the forthcoming months I imagine that there will be a plethora of new titles focusing on this subject matter." Sarno continued, "To be sure, every story of assault is a unique and individual one. But, in the clamor of current events, and in this 'blame game' climate, I continue to remain struck by Rinie's (and several others') poignant pleas to simply be heard — without judgment, without answers — but with patience and an attempt at understanding." In a recent interview, author Opidee explained that Waking Slow "was written before subjects of power and privilege became daily mainstays in 'mainstream' conversations and media. My hope is that the book echoes the urgent need for these discussions to remain front and center—and for them to expand to include other marginalized and stigmatized groups—as we continue our difficult efforts to restore and improve human discourse and culture." Ioanna Opidee has worked as a journalist for several publications including Folio: and University Business magazines. Her creative work has appeared in Spry Literary Journal, Drunken Boat, Lumina, Talking Writing, Weave, Outside In, and The Huffington Post, among other publications. She currently teaches at Weston High School in Connecticut and has previously taught at Fairfield University, the University of Connecticut Stamford, and the University of Massachusetts Boston. She holds a BA from Boston College, an MA from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and an MFA from Fairfield University's Low Residency Program. Opidee lives in Connecticut with her husband and two daughters. For additional information, please visit http://www.ioannaopidee.com/ Print copies of Waking Slow are available from independent bookstores everywhere as well as from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, PFP Publishing and distributors Ingram and Baker & Taylor. Digital versions are available in Barnes & Noble NookBook, Amazon Kindle, Apple iBook, and Kobo eBook formats. PFP Publishing is the home of Lunch with Buddha by Roland Merullo named one of the "Best Books of 2013" by Kirkus Reviews; This Is Paradise by Suzanne Strempek Shea — one of six books named to Yankee Magazine's 2014 "New England Wish List"; 2016's Smedley's Secret Guide to World Literature by Askold Melnyczuk which the Midwest Book Review termed "Consistently compelling and deftly crafted from beginning to end..." ; and Big City Cat: My Life in Folk-Rock, Steve Forbert's recently released memoir, which Bill Bentley of The Morton Report called, "an enormously entertaining and endlessly touching memoir that turns the sunshine on a man who is one of the best friends American music ever had." http://www.pfppublishing.com Photos: https://www.prlog.org/ https://www.prlog.org/ End
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