Angels in My Valley

About the Book

This narrative documentary portrays the life of a thirteen-year-old girl who breaks out of an abusive environment by escaping the grasp of a tyrannical stepmother who had victimized her and seven of her siblings for many years. Except for the people who made her escape possible, she was essentially on her own as she worked her way through high school. After working for a year as a private secretary in a civil service position, she was encouraged to apply for a scholarship to the University of Illinois. A second scholarship and a secretarial position at the university made it possible for her to acquire a bachelors degree in speech pathology and to graduate debt free in four years. She continued her education during a busy career and earned a masters degree in speech and language pathology from Northwestern University. By rising above what she considered to be a lost childhood, she manages to have a successful career along with marriage and a family. It appears that this author never looked down after leaving a childhood of abuse, compounded by the problems of the Great Depression. Those who encouraged her along the way are acknowledged as the angels in her life. Through these special mentors she meets movie stars and Hollywood moguls in the west and through her marriage to a naval officer she meets military and foreign dignitaries in Washington, D.C. Throughout this story, success and happiness in this family are often eclipsed by poignant periods of sadness, but only to rise again as their upbeat spirits prevail. Although the author is the central figure in this memoir, her eight siblings contribute immensely to the central theme of this story – the will to survive and succeed. They beat the odds against the oft-quoted premise – that growing up in violence will perpetuate violence. This story was written to provide insight into the problem of child abuse. Along with this moving commentary and narration, helpful information is provided for everyone working with children and young adults – laymen and professionals alike.

About the Author

The author was born Adeline Kulig on a Wisconsin farm in 1927. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in speech therapy from the University of Illinois, a Master of Arts in speech and language pathology from Northwestern University, and worked toward a doctorate in behavioral sciences. She has traveled all of the United States, most of Mexico and Central America, a significant portion of Canada, around the world, over the Pole, and down under to Australia. When unable to find a travel mate, she found traveling “solo” very exciting and rewarding. For forty years she enjoyed a successful career in speech and language pathology, during which she published professional articles in scholarly journals. In 2002 she successfully published her memoir entitled, Angels in my Valley.