Recently Published Book Serves as an Eye- Opener to Battered Women
Trust is an important factor in maintaining a healthy marriage. But what happens when the trust is broken, not only with words but also with the fist? Domestic abuse in all its forms is unacceptable, more so in the context of marriage. The beginning and development of spousal abuse are discussed at length in "Marriages Gone Awry ('Aray!')", the new book launched by Katha Publishing Co., the publishing arm of Goodwill Trading Co., Inc (Goodwill Bookstore).
"Marriages Gone Awry ('Aray!')" is coauthored by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Estrella Tiongson-Magno, Mrs. Guadalupe Reyes-Juan, and renowned litigation lawyer, Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan. The book begins with 22 case stories from Tiongson-Magno, a seasoned analyst and therapist who has worked with abused women for years. In part two, TiongsonMagno deftly examines destructive behaviors that contribute to broken marriages.
When a marriage crumbles, an annulment might be the only way out. In part three, PatajoKapunan, one of the most highly regarded lawyers in the country, provides a comprehensive list of available legal actions based on women's constitutional rights.
Providing catchy titles to each episode and synthesizing in "Afterthoughts" the moral of each story is Reyes-Juan, whose literary career began as early as when she was editor-in-chief of her Alma Mater's school organ and yearbook, "The Paulinian." Sharpening Women's Discernment According to the book, an abusive demeanor may stem from genetic, environmental, and cultural influences. Women of all ages are advised to be wise in discerning "danger signals" or "red flags" they may see but often ignore.
Reyes-Juan further explains that attraction to the opposite sex is a natural and God-given tendency that leads to procreation, but "focusing on the 'pleasure' and being blinded to the 'pain' is the reason why relationships that end in marriage often fall 'out of course' or get 'distorted', which the dictionary uses to describe the word 'awry'".
Many marriages fail in part due to the lack of preparation or counseling. Thankfully, there are a plethora of tools like "Marriages Gone Awry ('Aray!')" that prepare couples for the Holy Matrimony. During the book launch, TiongsonMagno revealed that the St. Paul Parish priests now require couples to read the book as part of their Pre-Cana seminar.
Meanwhile, Patajo-Kapunan in her speech stressed the importance of marriage and also mentioned available alternatives should a couple resort to annulment. The legal practitioner also thanked the attendees for their support and for "still believing in marriages".
Citing the success of her parents' marriage, Patajo-Kapunan said, "They were holding hands until the ripe old age of 90. So I believe that forever exists."
Published by Katha Publishing Co. Inc., the book will be available at all Goodwill Bookstores in the country.
For each copy of the book sold, Goodwill Bookstore will donate 100php to a foundation that caters to abused women.
Goodwill Trading Co., Inc. (Goodwill Bookstore) is a Filipino-owned company that was established in 1938. Its outlets can be found in Metro Manila and other provinces. In addition, the company also offers retail and wholesale books from big publishers here and abroad.