Braking Kane: the Struggle to Stop may be read as a stand-alone novel or as part of the series entitled Tara's Family.
The books in this series are: Jayce Recovered?; Braking Kane; From the Valley .
Tara Wilson watched her late husband try to help both his brother and her brother, as the two boys struggled with Substance Use Disorder. So, she is not thrilled with the idea of dealing with this in her own home ...again. Tara, a teacher and the mother of four, has given up trying to understand the reasons for substance abuse among the young men in her family. Her conclusion is that "prevention is the best cure", and that's how she is trying to raise her four kids. But when her young nephew, Kane, shows up on her doorstep - a runaway, sick, and majorly under the influence - how can she turn him away? At age thirteen, Kane already knows that he's in trouble. In a desperate attempt to leave "people, places, and things" behind, he steals from his parents and flies across the country, hoping to make contact with his mother's sister, Tara.
This series of books was written to help the author, herself, to explore the many issues surrounding Substance Use Disorder and to "shore up" her own level of compassion toward those who are most often suffering with the onset of this dis-ease: adolescents and their families. This is a work of fiction. In today's world, treatment of addictions is best done in a professional setting designed to help the addict into a successful recovery. Ms. Dell hopes that these books will, also, provide insight for, and engender compassion among, those for whom this is not an issue, so that they may better understand their neighbors, friends, and even other family members, who are struggling.
Each book comes with Discussion Questions, both for the General Reader and for those who find themselves "in the trenches" (perhaps as counselors-in-training, family members, teachers, law enforcement, or in other capacities in the community).
May it serve the purpose.
