A BED OF STINGING NETTLES is Released

The past is "A Bed of Stinging Nettles" (published by Xlibris AU), made of painful memories of war and domestic abuse for those struggling to live on and find happiness in their lives, as Saarah D'Armill portrays in her new novel. It follows two young people of different social backgrounds, who both had a difficult childhood during the Second World War, as they struggle to make their marriage work.

Sylvia, a laboratory assistant, is an upper middle-class religious young girl who rebels against her abusive father. Adolfo Echevarria, a middle class artisan, believes his daughter would become a Spanish Countess when General Franco is deposed and brainwashes young Sylvia, but she does not believe it. She struggles to find her identity as her father sexually abuses her and her stepmother mistreats her. She escapes from and rebels by marrying Philippe, a Parisian labourer who cannot hold a job.

Philippe is full of anger from unresolved feelings from his childhood. He drinks heavily and become frustrated by his wife's social and religious upbringing. Sylvia loves him and believes that with affection and patience she can turn him into a softer man. Prideful, she refuses to show her misery to her three children and family, and struggles to keep her marriage safe for the sake of her children. After many painful experiences and a trip to America, Philippe promises to change when he decides that they should immigrate to Australia. A devastated Sylvia wonders if leaving her country, family and friends is worth it and if she will ever find the truth about whom she really is.

With her story, D'Armill tells the story of the love and courage needed to protect children from not only the dangers of the present, but also the painful legacies of the past that can ensnare the unwary and unprotected in multi-generational cycles of violence and anguish. With its universal themes, her story also connects with abused spouses and parents, telling them that they are never alone, that they can prevail over the adversities facing them.

"A Bed of Stinging Nettles"
By Saarah D'Armill
Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 212 pages | ISBN 9781503505063
E-Book | 212 pages | ISBN 9781503505070
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Saarah D'Armill is a married pensioner and great-grandmother born in France and living in Australia. Her first language is French; however, she has done tertiary study in Australia and obtained her Advanced Certificate in Art and Design at the Ballarat School of Mines. She wrote poems in French and English and children's stories in French which are waiting to be published. Her motto is: "Life is love, love is life."

Xlibris Publishing Australia, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider dedicated to serving Australian authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles.For more information, visit xlibrispublishing.com.au or call 1800 455 039 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisAus on Twitter for the latest news.