What is Insectual about by Ann Diamond, author
Barbara is a prolific German-born Montreal painter and writer whose work has been shown internationally.
Her novel (fictionalized autobiography) INSECTUAL is a fascinating colourful spellbinding gripping account of a life lived on three continents spanning the second world war in Nazi Germany and the Belgian Congo at the height of its bloody civil war.
Arriving in Montreal as a married woman with two children, Maya (the heroine) begins an Odyssey of self-exploration that leads her to unravel the secrets of her childhood as the daughter of a Luftwaffe pilot as Germany was being defeated.
Her brilliant gifted therapist becomes the focus of her quest to revive her frozen sexuality lying dormant even after years of marriage to a sex addict. This deep contradiction fuels her artistic evolution and also brings her to the brink of psychotic breakdown.
This is a story of healing through art and self-analysis, but also a remarkable journey into the jungles and war zones of the human – and particularly female – spirit coming into conflict with a patriarchal reality that offers no real hope and appears to be collapsing.
INSECTUAL is a brave and terrifying page-turner of a memoir that deserves to be read by many readers. Barbara Sala is her own publisher, but this book is highly marketable to a wide audience.
As soon as I began reading this book, it had my full attention. Barbara was not afraid to tackle the subject of sex from a woman's point of view, which was incredibly refreshing. My heart ached for her, as she lived in constant shame and seemed to be covered in a shroud of sadness and depression, unable to figure out the "devil." I was amazed at her tenacity in the years she put in working with a psychiatrist, hoping to uncover the "problem," only to be victimized again by someone who knew better.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, she discovered her incredible creative side, both in art and writing. I do believe this is what saved this author, giving her the outlet she needed to express the deep, hidden, secret trauma. Her courage to put her ordeals into words, touched me deeply.