Snares and Delusions: The Triptych Book 1
by H. M. Holten
Reviewed by S. S. Bazinet

DESCRIPTION: Dreams and nightmares take Hedda to hell and back.

The combined forces of opium and pain brings her face to face with her life. From rural Sweden in late nineteenth century, over Silkeborg to the Danish Capital, and during the Great War, she experiences love and loss, poverty and betrayal.

Hedda gives up everything to win independence. She soon discovers that this is one thing to wish for, but another to achieve. Life handles her roughly, but can she develop strength of character? Will she pay for her freedom in ways she doesn’t anticipate?

REVIEW: A Woman’s Courageous Journey

When I read the first part of this story, called PASSAGE, I was struck with the way in which an elderly woman named Hedda was coping with her impending death. Instead of lying in her hospital bed and feeling sorry for herself, she manages to fall to the floor and crawl over to a wall. When her daughter, Ellie, comes into the room, and sees Hedda kneeling and rocking, Ellie starts to sob. But Hedda tells the younger women not to “mollycoddle” her, that she, Hedda, lives as she chooses to live, even when her death is imminent.

That scene sets the stage for Hedda’s story, a story fraught with hardship and at times, cruelty. Yet Hedda doesn’t give in to the harsh challenges that plague her life. Unlike some who might turn bitter when treated unfairly and with total lack of goodness, she manages to retain a persevering spirit that is giving and generous.

The story also vividly portrays the social mores that women faced during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Those very defined morally acceptable norms severely limited a woman’s rights, including the right to think independently. In this formidable and intimidating climate, Hedda, the protagonist in the story, finds the courage to seek her freedom and build a better life for herself and her child, Ellie.

This is a beautifully written, engrossing story that kept me turning pages from beginning to the end. Highly recommended for any reader who wants to learn about the strength it takes to hold on to one’s bright spirit in the face of great adversity.

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