Maryjo Paradis-Smith’s Book “July in August” Shares a Tale of Abuse and Revenge

Maryjo Paradis-Smith brings her readers a tale of mystery and revenge in her young adult fiction book, “July in August: One Girl’s Struggle with an Opioid Addicted Mother.”

“July in August” follows the life of a twelve-year-old July Krativitiz as she tries to take care of her two-year-old brother, Abe, from her abusive mother. Her mother was an alcoholic and opioid-addicted person. July is always worried about her little brother every time she goes to school because she knows that her mother won’t be able to take care of him.

Their elderly neighbor, Mrs. White, offers to help them as soon as she notices the problem with their mother. So, she takes the children to a lakehouse to keep them away from the threatening danger that their mom could inflict on them. When Roger, Abe’s father, comes to visit the two-year-old child for the weekend, he notices that nobody is in their house. He enters the apartment and finds the children’s mother lying dead on the floor with no sign of the children’s whereabouts. He then goes out to find the children and whoever killed their mother.

The author used her tale to spread awareness that real children in the country are experiencing abuse from alcoholic and opioid-addicted parents. These children need a home where they can be normal children.

Readers can learn about the mystery of the story by purchasing a copy of Maryjo Paradis-Smith’s “July in August” on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

To learn more about the author and her other works, visit her website at https://maryjoparadissmith.com/.

Author’s Biography

Maryjo Paradis-Smith (1960 - ) was born and raised in Arlington, Massachusetts. When she was a child, Maryjo lived in a two-family house. Her nine cousins lived upstairs and she and her five siblings lived downstairs. Her family became known as the ’Downstairs" When her mother became pregnant with her sixth siblings it was time to move to a bigger house. Her early years shaped much of her storytelling.

As an adult, Maryjo taught public school in Dover, New Hampshire for thirty-four years. It was during this time her passion for writing caught fire. As a middle school language arts and social studies teacher, Maryjo dedicated herself to her students. Respect and trust were established in her classroom. Students shared true stories of their struggles, everything from homelessness to not making the baseball team.

As an author, Maryjo hopes to bring these stories to life. Her first published book, “July in August: One Girl’s Struggle with an Opioid Addicted Mother” tells the story of July Krativitiz who lives in the small New Hampshire town of Maplewood. Because July’s mother is addicted to opioids, July’s life is complicated. She has a two-year-old brother she feels responsible for, but she must leave him at home with her mother each day as she must go to school. As the story unfolds July relies on an elderly neighbor to help, only to find herself and her brother kidnapped and, on an adventure, she never wished for.

Maryjo currently lives in Barrington, New Hampshire with her husband, Tom, and her two cats. She has two grown daughters and one stepdaughter who have blessed her with six grandchildren.

Contact Information

Kris Canete

Author Relations Officer

ReadersMagnet LLC

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