Haley McKenna Banned Book Week Winning Essay

Independence is a trait that I desire, and at one time I thought of myself as being independent.
Reality showed me otherwise.
From the outside looking in people may have thought I was independent, but what they did no see was that everything I did; the jobs I had, where I lived, and how I spent my money was dictated by my family.
Even my dream of going to college was put on hold.
My twin sister married into money and was fortunate enough to have her education paid for by her mother-in-law, while I always had to work hard for everything. We did not have any other siblings, so it was up to us to take care of our mother. For the past five years it had been my responsibility to take care of her.
It is hard to admit, but my mother has been addicted to drugs for over ten years. Taking care of her had been hard on me, and became too much for me to handle. When I went out of town I left her the money to pay for the bills, but instead she spent all my money on drugs. I returned from my trip and found out that we only had one week until we had to move out of the apartment, and I lost everything: my car, apartment, furniture, etc.
I did not have any money left to find somewhere else to live, and within a week I was homeless. My sister, who once said she did not have room in her house to take in my mother, all of a sudden found room.
Being homeless was the best thing that happened to me. During this time, I realized how much of my life was controlled by my family, and I was ready to make a change to move away from them. Fortunately, a dear friend was kind enough to invite me to move in with her. Not knowing anyone but her and her boyfriend, I moved here to Cookeville, ready to start my life over.
I came to the library to find a book to read, and I picked up The Mulberry Tree by Jude Deveraux. The central character Lillian Manville was a lot like me, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down. Her husband controlled every aspect of her life, and even held her back from pursuing her dream of having her own business.
The changing point in her life was when her husband passed away and she had to leave her home and move to a new city. Like me, she did not know anyone; not even herself.
The timing of this book in my life was perfection. Reading how she overcame the obstacles put in her path by adjusting to a new town, finding her independence, and making a new life where she can be fulfilled, gave me hope that I will also overcome the obstacles put in my path.

Haley McKenna