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Maryann Miller

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Evelyn Evolving: A Novel Of Real Life Kindle Edition

by Maryann Miller (Author), Nadene Seiters (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition

4.0 195 ratings

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At just 4 years old, Evelyn Gundrum’s happy world is turned upside down. Abandoned by her mother, she is shipped to an orphanage run by the terrifying Sister Honora.

Evelyn grows up amidst hardship and heartbreak, plagued by unresolved emotions that follow her into adulthood as she seeks answers in a sea of questions.

Will her uncertain path to self-discovery lead to happiness?

Praise:

Evelyn Evolving is a heartfelt story of one woman’s journey through some of life’s most difficult trials, a coming-of-age that readers won’t soon forget. Maryann Miller captures the spirit of a woman who refuses to be defeated with great tenderness and, what’s more, enduring hope. — Kristy Woodson Harvey, bestselling author of Slightly South of Simple

Editorial Reviews

Review

Wow! Just wow! Thank you for sharing this story with me. Kristine Hall, Lone Star Literary

From the Author

This is the story of my mother's life, fictionalized in places where facts and details are not known, like why exactly her father left the family when Evelyn was just about three years old, or why her mother put the two daughters in an orphanage. What is here is based on information that my mother shared in bits and pieces over a number of years, and my imagining of what some major turning points in her life might have been like.
Despite the difficulties that plagued my mother throughout her life, she was still one of the strongest women I've ever known. I wanted to write her story from the time I seriously started writing, but it would never come. Then a few years ago, after she died, the story started to flow.
I'm so glad it did.
To all the readers who have helped to put the book on best-selling lists since it's release, I send a humble "thank you." I'm so thrilled that so many people are finding the book and reading it.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Q85QQR9
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Next Chapter; 1st edition (May 19, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 19, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 506 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,087,058 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #3,937 in Women's Historical Fiction
- #4,913 in Biographical Fiction (Books)
- #5,920 in Coming of Age Fiction (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.0 195 ratings

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Maryann Miller

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Maryann Miller, an award-winning author, has been in love with story-telling since she was a child and used to scare her sister with stories of the monsters in the cellar. Those tales were never written down. They were always whispered in the dark, and when Maryann started writing stories, they were different types entirely.

As a young child, she didn't consider that she would grow up to be a writer. She fancied herself quite the singer and thought she would someday sing in front of crowds of thousands. Alas, that proved to be more dream than reality.

At another point in her childhood, she dreamed of being an actress, but it took many years before she was brave enough to give it a try. For fifteen years she was the Theatre Directer at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts where she directed shows for some time before getting brave enough to step on stage. It appears she was more suited to acting than singing, and she has since starred in several productions at various community theatres in East Texas.

A diverse writer of columns, feature stores, short fiction, novels, screenplays and stage plays, Maryann has won numerous awards including being a semi-finalist at the Sundance Institute for her screenplay, A Question Of Honor. She has also received the Page Edwards Short Story Award and the 2015 Best Mystery award for Doubletake.

Miller lives in a small town in NE Texas with one dog, and four cats. The cats rule! She has been writing all her life and plans to die at her computer.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

195 global ratings

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Sarah White

Oh, The Pain We Often Feel!

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022

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Evelyn and her sister were surrendered to an orphanage because their father did nothing to support the family and the mother had no way to feed and clothe the children. The girls were taken to a place where punishment was readily given out, but no love was distributed. The girls were liberally punished for small offenses, and frequently had little to eat and only rags to wear. The orphanage closed down and they were separated and sent to homes where they were treated worse. The only way out was to age out or marry. With no example of what good parenthood should be, they were ill prepared for life. They left their children home alone, withheld food, and abused their children. Read this book about how the children were treated and how they came to treat their own children. The author did a very good job of presenting this account. I cannot say I enjoyed the book, but I encourage you to read the book if you are interested in stopping the cycle of abuse.

One person found this helpful

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Myra Hargrave McIlvain

Tender mercy

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2022

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Tender mercy comes to mind when I think of Maryann Miller's love story to her mother. This is a sad tale of a child abused at the hand of the religious who warped her mind and her soul for a lifetime. Yet, the daughter of this flawed woman found within herself an understanding of her own abuse and forgiveness. A story well-told that offers readers a way to look at their upbringing in a new and forgiving light.

One person found this helpful

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Reader Lady

My Musings

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2022

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This was such a sad book, and I didn't realize until the end it's based on the author's mother and her life. It was hard to become truly engaged since it's more telling than showing. Happy reading!

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Kindle Customer

Very, very compelling!

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2019

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A poignant story that demonstrates, through real experiences, how much our choices matter, both to ourselves and our families, especially our children. From childhood to adulthood, one generation to the next, the reader sees a cycle of hurt that persists its tragic rotation, breaking lives anew with every miserable turn. It gives one pause to think on one's decisions, how imperative it is to consider their short and long-term consequences. In addition, as a Catholic Christian, I must further add my sadness at how miserably the Church has failed so many people, notably the young and most vulnerable. For goodness sake: Nuns and priests are not unaccountable to God merely by virtue of the cloth; they cannot do evil with impunity--no one can and that is a biblical fact! Confession does not grant forgiveness for wilful, unrepentant wrongdoing, and the Church is not a magical place that saves simply from rote attendance. Yet, so many believe this, in large part due to bad instruction and the sinful example shown by some leaders--a fact this book clearly illustrates. 'Tis downright damaging and shameful! I may only hope and pray that this author and her family finds the truth of God's love, and healing for their hearts and souls. If this well-written book is any indication, perhaps Maryann is well on her way!

6 people found this helpful

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Nona E. Morrison

It really happened.

Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2019

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An interesting glimpse into a time we hope never to see again. Pain travels through generations, boosted by the culture. I highly recommend it, even though the end left me wanting more.

2 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer LLH

An Honest and Ultimately Poignant Homage to Evelyn

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2020

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This isn’t a fairytale or a sugary romance; it is a novel told with a gut-wrenching clarity from real life events. Whose life? The author’s mother’s and by the end, it dovetails into the author’s own. Be prepared to keep turning the pages once you open the cover of this poignant book—little Evelyn and her older sister’s plights grip your heart from the first page. Their heartbreaking childhoods, moving from their mother’s partial abandonment—to the care of a kind lady who becomes ill—to total abandonment once placed in an orphanage. The orphanage is run by severe and often abusive nuns. Evelyn and Viola come of age with still more twists leading to their mother reentering their lives. Hope warms the reader’s heart, even as trepidation warns more is to come. I don’t like to give spoilers in my reviews. You need to read this novel. The end is a beautiful application of grace from a loving heart instead of a bitter one. Maryann achieves an honest and poignant homage to her mother. Don’t miss this one. It deserves 5 stars.

5 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2019

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This book started out good then went down hill, it was based on a true story so not much could have been changed. It could have been told better, it was long and drawn out at times, then rushed at others. The ending was The worst so abrupt. Like I said, Disappointing!!

3 people found this helpful

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BARBARA ANN

I want my money and time back!

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2021

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Who gives a book a 5 star, when it’s this bad. learn to tell a story lady. And the fact that it has no ending. 1/4⭐️ I want my time back.