The Rattle of the Rosary

When Valma’s father abandons her mother during the Great Depression, her mother is forced to make an agonizing decision. At the tender age of four, Valma, along with her two younger siblings, is placed into foster care, beginning a life of uncertainty and hardship. After years of being shuffled between foster families, Valma, now 14, is bitter, angry, and deeply vulnerable, sent out into the world to fend for herself.

The year is 1943, and World War II continues to rage. Brisbane is alive with activity, its streets bustling with servicemen, including many from the USA. Amid this whirlwind of excitement, Valma, longing for love and connection, meets a man who will leave an indelible mark on her life.

In November 1944, Valma receives devastating news – a blow like a knife to her heart. By 1945, shamed, shunned, and utterly alone, she makes a fateful decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Swearing to keep her secret forever, Valma carries the weight of her vow, never fully understanding the heartbreak it caused. But could her secret remain buried forever?

Marie Giess is a retired wife, mother and grandmother living in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. Marie is now 79 years old.

In the 1980s, she submitted her first short story to a national magazine, and it was purchased and published in the March edition of 1986.

Through her work, Marie satisfied her desire to write through the development and writing of training manuals, newspaper columns and newsletters. During this time she won a couple of local competitions plus a national award for a community newsletter. Now in retirement, Marie felt it was time to tell her own story, hoping to inspire those who have found themselves in the same position as hers. Amazing things can happen with the help of the internet and some wonderful people.

This book started as a catharsis but ended up a story spanning many of Marie’s childhood years.

This is the author’s first book, but hopefully not her last.