Two spoons of bitter : a story of love, betrayal and redemption

*WINNER of the 2019 GOLD Royal Palm Award for Literary Fiction - Finalist in the UK Wishing Shelf Awards* It's the early 1990s and Ella Donovan can't wait to see her unfortunate past and her bleak Midwest hometown disappear in her rearview mirror. With a degree in art therapy in hand, she arrives in a charming Southern city of colorful bridges and gleaming beaches for her dream job working with teen addicts. But not all is as it seems in a place where the Confederate flag still flies over the downtown courthouse. Nearly unhinged by a boss who wants her to fail, Southern gentleman who aren't so gentlemanly, not to mention an unscrupulous social service system, Ella struggles to find her footing. Just when she thinks she's mastered it all, a fateful phone call unleashes a Pandora's box of devastating family secrets throwing her into the arms of a forbidden romantic liaison. If not for fierce Jo Gaetano, her wise-cracking coworker and new best friend, Ella just might break under pressure. Will Ella redeem the past and find hope and renewal amongst her losses and unfortunate choices? Based on real events. 2019 WINNER OF THE ROYAL PALM LITERARY AWARD FOR FICTION! Ella Donovan cant wait to see her hapless past and her bleak Midwest hometown in her rearview mirror. She arrives in a charming Southern city of colorful bridges and gleaming beaches for her dream job working with teen addicts. But not all is as it seems in a place where the Confederate flag still flies over the downtown courthouse. Nearly unhinged by a boss who wants her to fail, Southern gentleman who arent so gentlemanly, and a corrupt, racist and homophobic social service system beset by an escalating global pandemic, Ella struggles to find her footing. Just when she thinks shes mastered it all, a fateful phone call unleashes a Pandoras box of devastating family secrets driving her into the arms of a forbidden romantic liaison. If not for fierce Jo Gaetano, her wise-cracking coworker and new best friend, Ella just might break under pressure. Will Ella be able to redeem the past and find hope and renewal amongst the wreckage of her losses and unfortunate choices? Based on true events. Art therapist Ella Donovan says good-bye for good to the alcoholic grandmother who raised her and the cold, Podunk Minnesota town she grew up in. She arrives in a charming, antebellum city of colorful bridges and gleaming beaches for a dream job working with teen addicts. But not all is as it seems in a place where the Confederate flag still flies over the downtown courthouse. Nearly unhinged by a boss who wants her to fail, Southern gentlemen who aren't so gentlemenly and a corrupt social service system complicated by an escalating AIDS crisis, Ella struggles to find her footing. Just when she thinks she's mastered it all, family secrets threaten to uproot the very foundation of her identity."--Back cover