An American Tale

Some secrets we keep to protect others; the rest we keep to protect ourselves.It's 1973 and ten year-old Jodi Keane is beginning to ask questions about a father she's never known, a man whom she believes died in the Vietnam War. The only clue she has to his identity is a first name: Tony. But is it enough to help her find the father she longs to know? Meanwhile, 800 miles away, Melanie Byron has the perfect family: a mother, father, a younger brother and a nice home in Jacksonville,...
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Some secrets we keep to protect others; the rest we keep to protect ourselves.It's 1973 and ten year-old Jodi Keane is beginning to ask questions about a father she's never known, a man whom she believes died in the Vietnam War. The only clue she has to his identity is a first name: Tony. But is it enough to help her find the father she longs to know? Meanwhile, 800 miles away, Melanie Byron has the perfect family: a mother, father, a younger brother and a nice home in Jacksonville, Florida. No one suspects what goes on behind closed doors where Melanie endures years of emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of her father. As soon as she graduates from high school she escapes by marrying a good-natured young businessman, but the consequences of her abuse have taken their toll and she plunges into a downward spiral. An American Tale is the story of two young women, living separate lives, overcoming their own obstacles of growing up female during the 1970s and 1980s. It was a time when polite people didn't talk about sexual abuse, sexual orientation, and unwed mothers, but as secrets begin to unravel, Melanie and Jodi discover things about themselves and each other.