Difficult Lives of Rural Teens Inspires Novel, “Cinderella Shoots the Moon”

Charlton, MA, August 17, 2017 --(PR.com)-- “Cinderella Shoots the Moon,” a novel published independently by Arlie Corday of Charlton, Mass., aims to give a voice to an often forgotten and forsaken population — teens and children growing up in rural America.

The book, now available on Amazon.com, is a coming-of-age story about teen misfit Tara Harris, who finds there is more to life than popularity and fashion after her family moves to rural upstate New York. After her parents fall into depression and alcoholism, Tara finds comfort and hope from a mysterious old crone named Gran Tebbs, who tells her own story of growing up in a time of few options for women.

Along the way, Tara learns her best friend, Abbie Sullivan, is in more trouble than she ever dreamed possible as the victim of abuse. Dubbing themselves the “Cinderella Girls,” Tara and Abbie run away to escape the horror, using their wits and will to survive. Out on their own they become nannies, con artists, self-educated scholars and gang members. But then tragedy strikes, threatening to end their flight to freedom.

A native of Chittenango and Redfield, N.Y., Corday graduated from Syracuse University. A longtime resident of Swanzey, N.H., and Charlton, Mass., she has spent her career as a writer and editor, including at The Keene (N.H.) Sentinel, Northfield Mount Hermon School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Wellesley College and the College of the Holy Cross.

So just how does a Cinderella “shoot the moon?”

“It’s an old-time phrase meaning slip away by moonlight,” Corday said. “Also, in the game of Hearts, when you shoot the moon, you collect every heart as well as the Queen of Spades. It seems hearts and queens can be broken, but also redeemed.”

Her book tackles common struggles of families like the fictional Harrises and Sullivans. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one in four rural residents grows up poor. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that one in five girls and one in twenty boys is a victim of child sexual abuse. In addition, one in five adult Americans has lived with an alcoholic relative while growing up, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

“The world seems determined at times to destroy its young,” Corday said. “But that destiny can be changed if enough of us face these issues and offer all the love and support we can.”

“Cinderella Shoots the Moon” is available on Amazon.com as a paperback or e-book at http://bit.ly/cinderellashoots. Arlie Corday can be reached at arliecorday@yahoo.com and at https://arliecorday.wordpress.com.