Overview

Like the widows of other American tragedies, Verna must discover the strength to survive and provide for her family. An American Family Myth begins in 1916, in the small abolitionist town of Berea, Kentucky where Verna's husband, Sheriff John Collins, vows to bring to justice the Klu Klux Klan men responsible for burning the fields of landholding blacks. Following John's death, Verna, determined to escape poverty, moves to Louisville to attend nursing school and experiences the influx of WWI troops debarking for Europe and a pandemic flu where thousands die in a WWI army camp. The suffrage movement of the era inspires and confuses Verna who struggles with the changes in her life. An American Family Myth evokes the sweep of events that occurred almost a century ago, but are alarmingly similar to the challenges of today. Nationally recognized Psychologist Norine Johnson brings her knowledge of post-traumatic stress and family to this novel of one woman's struggle to cope with traumatic loss. A spokesperson on post-traumatic stress disorder for the American Psychological Association after 9/11, then APA President Norine Johnson, traveled across the United States listening to the narratives of a traumatized nation. Dr. Johnson heard the universal struggle to survive an unexpected brutal loss of a loved one. She has extensive media experience, including CNN, ABC, local television, the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, magazines, and the internet. Johnson consulted with Kartequin Films on "Five Girls". Her numerous publications include three books.