In 1968, as Sue Skilton Orrell left her hometown, DeLand, Florida, she felt that the turmoil in her personal life was as chaotic as the widespread social and political unrest reported in the national news headlines. Despite the history that made her opt to stay away for over 54 years, she completed her formal education, built a successful career in Music Education, and dated every time she was single. Catastrophic weather events that impacted Houston and the onset of night driving limitation led Sue to consider returning to DeLand, the hometown she had never stopped missing. With resolute courage reinforced by numerous friends, family members, and strangers, she faced every decision and challenge to sell her house in Houston, buy another house in DeLand, and make the move within three months after first seriously considering the possibility of reclaiming the bucolic charm of DeLand, home of Stetson University, her undergraduate alma mater. This collection of short stories and journal entries covers the topics of Travel, Teaching, and Dating in Part One. Part Two addresses Weather, Real Estate, and Release. Sue links the topics by reflecting upon their effects on her personal growth, which enabled her ultimately to follow the path home and to be at peace not only within herself, but also in her hometown. For example, rather than writing a typical travelogue that stresses the geographical or cultural aspects of an area, she explored the dynamics of personal relationships and accidental adventures that occurred during some of her trips.
Cries of the Panther tells the true story of the sexual attacks and ongoing abuse the author suffered as a young girl, perpetrated not by her father but by her next oldest sister’s husband. Sue’s cousin’s misguided conclusion turned out to be a blessing in disguise, however, when Sue broke her long silence. Along with long-term therapy, writing her memoir nurtured the process of healing and rendered her psychic scars nearly invisible. Now her life is filled with joy through relationships, pride rather than shame, and gratitude for all those who supported her in the journey through recovery and into wholeness. “From the first page I was drawn into this fascinating book. The characters, the setting, and the plot are all psychologically compelling. Not only that, but the fact that this book comes out during the #MeToo movement makes this a must-read for all of us.”—Sally Porter-Ross, Ed. D. “A beautifully written book with stories that can neither be forgotten nor ignored in our present day. The landscape of central Florida is so vivid that it is almost like another character, possibly a foreshadowing of themes and scenes of the book. Riveting!”—Elizabeth H.W. Hedges
In 1968, as Sue Skilton Orrell left her hometown, DeLand, Florida, she felt that the turmoil in her personal life was as chaotic as the widespread social and political unrest reported in the national news headlines. Despite the history that made her opt to stay away for over 54 years, she completed her formal education, built a successful career in Music Education, and dated every time she was single. Catastrophic weather events that impacted Houston and the onset of night driving limitation led Sue to consider returning to DeLand, the hometown she had never stopped missing. With resolute courage reinforced by numerous friends, family members, and strangers, she faced every decision and challenge to sell her house in Houston, buy another house in DeLand, and make the move within three months after first seriously considering the possibility of reclaiming the bucolic charm of DeLand, home of Stetson University, her undergraduate alma mater. This collection of short stories and journal entries covers the topics of Travel, Teaching, and Dating in Part One. Part Two addresses Weather, Real Estate, and Release. Sue links the topics by reflecting upon their effects on her personal growth, which enabled her ultimately to follow the path home and to be at peace not only within herself, but also in her hometown. For example, rather than writing a typical travelogue that stresses the geographical or cultural aspects of an area, she explored the dynamics of personal relationships and accidental adventures that occurred during some of her trips.
Cries of the Panther tells the true story of the sexual attacks and ongoing abuse the author suffered as a young girl, perpetrated not by her father but by her next oldest sister’s husband. Sue’s cousin’s misguided conclusion turned out to be a blessing in disguise, however, when Sue broke her long silence. Along with long-term therapy, writing her memoir nurtured the process of healing and rendered her psychic scars nearly invisible. Now her life is filled with joy through relationships, pride rather than shame, and gratitude for all those who supported her in the journey through recovery and into wholeness. “From the first page I was drawn into this fascinating book. The characters, the setting, and the plot are all psychologically compelling. Not only that, but the fact that this book comes out during the #MeToo movement makes this a must-read for all of us.”—Sally Porter-Ross, Ed. D. “A beautifully written book with stories that can neither be forgotten nor ignored in our present day. The landscape of central Florida is so vivid that it is almost like another character, possibly a foreshadowing of themes and scenes of the book. Riveting!”—Elizabeth H.W. Hedges
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