#Sponsored I would like to share a new book with you I received in exchange for this review. I would like to be upfront this isn’t a book for everyone. If I were asked if I would recommend SHITHOLE PARADISE: One year in Bocas del Toro, Panama. A Memoir by Leona Stoker I would really have to think about it because it could set people off in mutiple ways because of the following: Intimate partner abuse, violence, sexual assault, self harm, suicidality, sexual content, drug use, profanity.
Even I had a hard time finishing the book and at times I almost didn’t but I wanted to see what happened to the young girl trying to keep her head above water which I’ve dealt with in the past. I loved the idea of the beach but booze and blow turned me off. I liked knowing the story was set in a beautiful Caribbean Island off the coast of Panama but I didn’t like learning it was one of the largest places to party.
The main character Leona is drowning and in the throes of the trauma bond, she is enshrouded by drugs, alcohol, betrayal and abuse as she tries to navigate choppy and uncharted Seas, We find out Leona is accompanied by a sociopathic boyfriend she is derelict and alone. Leona has to find a way to escape if she ever wants to make it out alive.
Leona leaves to go on an intrapersonal journey in the Pacific Northwest which allows her to shift gears and perspectives. One last tragedy befalls her before she is totally free and clear of her hardships. Only after fully committing to her healing ais she able to change the course of her life and forge a healthier path. Which made me happy I pushed through and finished the novel.
Beaches, babes, booze, blow, Bocas. The harrowing true story of a young woman struggling to keep her head above water in her very own Shithole Paradise. On a beautiful Caribbean Island off the coast of Panama, in one of the world’s biggest party towns, Leona is drowning. In the throes of the trauma bond, she is enshrouded by drugs, alcohol, betrayal and abuse as she tries to navigate choppy and uncharted seas, accompanied by a sociopathic boyfriend.
Derelict and alone, she has to find a way to escape if she ever wants to make it out alive.
Thus, Leona leaves to go on an intrapersonal journey in the Pacific northwest which allows her to shift gears and perspectives. Yet one last tragedy befalls her before she is totally free and clear of her hardships. Only after fully committing to her healing and true potential is she able to change the course of her life and forge a healthier path.
www.shitholeparadise.com
About the author: Leona Stoker
I’ve been writing for several years and always hoped to publish one day. I made that first huge leap with my memoir (of one year) – SHITHOLE PARADISE. Next was my first published collection of poetry/rhymes – All Rhymes; No Reason. Both self-published with Kindle Direct.
Currently, I’m a support worker for survivors of gender-based violence and an advocate for all vulnerable/marginalized populations. I’m also pursuing my Masters of counseling in psychology.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
