Carmen: A Story of Inconceivable Grace

By Dree Christiano

Through this book is weaved a story of love and redemption through harrowing disaster. Falling in love is easy, but learning how to cope with the tragic effects, isn’t. When Carmen is tired of driving on a one-way street, she takes an unexpected turn. Grasping the glorious idea of freedom with both hands, Carmen realizes that danger nips at her heels. With a pierced and tired heart, Carmen longs for rest from the mistakes she has made. She has yet to realize that there could be a Light at the end of her smoky alley.

“Set against a dramatic, larger-than-life, and sometimes sinister backdrop of 1950s New York, this quick-moving novella artfully transforms a classic noir into a faith-filled story of God’s redemption and grace.” -Jacie Ziegelbein

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973686927

Dree Christiano

Dree Christiano loves old movies and old music. Always ready for exciting adventures, her heart is happiest with her computer on her lap or with a book in her hands. She enjoys reading about WWII history and is currently working on a second novel, a fictional drama based around that time period.

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Copyright © 2020 Dree Christiano.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

without the written permission of the author except in the case of

brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or

links contained in this book may have changed since publication and

may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those

of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Exterior and Interior Image Credit: Teryn Pepper

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Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission

of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered

in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

ISBN: 978-1-9736-8693-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-8692-7 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/06/2020

CONTENTS

Preface

January 1952, Brooklyn, New York

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Epilogue...

Acknowledgements

The Story Behind the Story

About the Author.

image01.jpg

For God’s

precious children,

who deserve second chances.

For those who think there is nothing

else. Hold on, reach out to God.

He will set you on your feet again,

and walk with you. I promise you that the

storm will pass. I’ve been there,

and now I’ve written this book for you.

Psalm 147:3 says:

"He heals the brokenhearted,

and binds up their wounds."

PREFACE

Once… there was a girl by the name of Carmen Everett. From early in her youth she was despised for her beauty and turned heads. For many of her days she hated where she was brought up, and how she was brought up. In a small farm community, in the middle of nowhere, under her father’s demanding, controlling roof.

I’m helping you, Carrie. he used to say. When you get out on your own, you’ll be glad you’ve been brought up with morals and structure.

To little teenage Carrie, structure was not fun and was not enough to keep her at home. Fifteen, then sixteen, then seventeen. She warned her father that when she turned eighteen, she was leaving. He never believed her. He laughed at her.

You won’t leave. he’d threaten. How will you get along? How will you live? You don’t know how to do anything. You’re worth nothing.

He was wrong, they were all wrong. She knew how to make friends, didn’t she? She had looks, didn’t she? You can ride a long way on that ticket in a big city.

So off she went. New York, and Grand Central Station. A subway to Brooklyn.

Wanted: Girl with a good voice to sing. Apply, The Hot Spot. 1515 Kenston St.

January 1952,

Brooklyn, New York

It’s the same old story. Just another dingy

night in the city; just another gun moll. Steam

escaping from subway grates. In a city that never

sleeps, there is a typical nocturnal scene...

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I

T he mood. It’s always about the mood, with this sort of thing. You know…the horn blowing across the street; tonight, it plays the especially haunting refrain of Angel Eyes. The rain beating down into the streets below. A man in a raincoat, scurrying to find shelter. The slam of a car door, and then the bumping and giggling of a guy and his gal out of a taxi. Cats screaming in the alley. The smoky, dim-lit room.

The ashtray overflowing, and a glass clinking as the woman pours another out of the half a bottle of wine she’s drained all by herself.

Everybody knows what she looks like. A peach of a bottle blonde, with blood-red lips, and matching nails. You can see her now, can’t you? No, don’t lie, you know you do. She’s cute, isn’t she? And, oh, those eyes. And she’s tall, she’s very tall, about five-feet-six, don’t you think?