The Moments Between Dreams

by Judith F. Brenner

Overview

Top Notable 100 Indie Award of 2022

A story of hope, courage, and perseverance 

​Carol misses red flags about Joe’s need for control before she marries him, dashing her dreams for herself and her family. Trouble escalates after their daughter Ellie is paralyzed by the polio virus and Joe returns from WWII. Carol realizes how brutal waking life can be, and she conceals bruises and protects her children the best she can.

The Moments Between Dreams is a captivating story of a 1940s housewife who conforms to the rulebook of society until Joe pushes her too far. His constant intimidation shrinks Carol’s confidence while she tries to boost Ellie’s. Church-going neighbors in Carol’s tight-knit Polish community are complacent, but Sam, a handsome reporter, stirs up Carol’s zest for life. Despite impossible circumstances, Carol plans a secret escape. Along a risky path, she empowers her daughter to know no limits and teaches her son to stop the cycle of violence and gender discrimination.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626349339
Publisher:	Greenleaf Book Group Press
Publication date:	05/17/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	614,237
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Judith F. Brenner owns Creative Lakes Media, LLC, a freelance writing and editing services company. She is the managing editor and publisher of Sharpeners Report, a national publication with paid circulation in a professional service and repair industry. Her personal essays have been published in Writers in the Know (WINK) literary magazine, (available at winkwriters.com), and Minnesota Parent magazine. She completed the Iowa University Mini-MFA Workshop in 2019. Judith is a member of the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and the Professional Editor’s Network. She resides in Minnesota with her husband and has two daughters.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“From the minute I began reading The Moments Between Dreams, I was captured, yanked into 1944 and the life of Carol Wozniak and her family and struck by the similarities to the world we all live in today. As early as page 3, my stomach churned as her husband, Joe, shows early signs of being an abuser. Flawlessly written and relatable, our protagonist’s gut-wrenching situation as a mother, helpless in the face of her 5-year-old daughter’s battle with polio, is daunting enough. Little does she know what lies ahead. Put this book on your summer reading list.”
—Nadia Giordana, publisher and editor, WINK: Writers in the Know literary magazine

“Thank you to Judith Brenner for shining a light on the difficult and painful issues of domestic violence. This book is a reminder to women that not every prince is charming and of the courage it takes to become the heroine of your own story.”
—Barb Greenberg, founder,RediscoveringU.com, and author of the award-winning book The Seasons of Divorce: Insights for Women in Transition

“This powerful and well-crafted novel brings us back to the 1940s, when a public swimming pool could infect your child with a virus. The story resonates with our own time, as a new virus transforms our lives. Brenner’s intimate and poignant portrait of domestic violence is also relevant today—the issues are the same.”
—Lucy Rose Fischer, authorof The Journalist: Life and Loss in America’s Secret War

“The Moments Between Dreams is a woman’s emotional journey of courage and perseverance, as she struggles to protect her children and herself. Brenner weaves a story of grit and determination about a woman you’ll cheer for even after the hopeful ending.”
—Jill Hannah Anderson, author of The To-Hell-and-Back Club and A Life Unraveled

“I couldn’t stop thinking about this powerful, well-written novel that brought me back in time. Brenner’s vivid storytelling through realistic characters reveals how women faced gut-wrenching struggles head on.”
—Sunny Roller, polio survivor, Member, Post-Polio Health International Board of Directors; Post-polio.org