Thursday, September 5, 2019

First Line Friday #72


First Line Friday is brought to you by Hoarding Books. Playing along is easy: open the book nearest you and share the first line. Then check out the link to see the other first lines offered up this week.

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"Tanya Harrell was just doing her job at a New Orleans McDonald's in 2017 when a guy she worked with shoved her into a bathroom, locked the door, and tried to rape her."

I'd love to quote the whole preface, honestly. Especially the parts about how she had previously reported harassment to her manager and the incident was dismissed as 'consensual'. The same thing happened when she tried to report this incident as well. Time and again women's voices are silenced when we attempt to report assaults, and then people wonder why other women wait so long to come forward.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Happy Reading,
Sarah

22 comments:

  1. Wow. That is a powerful opening line. I hadn't heard of this book. Now I'm intrigued.

    Over on my blog I'm sharing the first line of Healing Hearts by Cindy Ervin Huff. It's the first novella in The Cowboys novella collection. So here, I'll share the first lines from the second novella in the collection, Becoming Brave by Jennifer Uhlarik:

    Indian Territory, 1870
    Five. Five Bodies.
    Sweat snaked between Coy Whitaker's shoulders as he stared over the crest of the hill at the ghastly scene below.

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    1. Powerful and timely, I think. Thanks for coming by and sharing your line this week!

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  2. Happy Friday! My first line is from “Ford” by Susan May Warren:

    “If Ford didn’t get his head in the game, they were doomed. People were going to die. Probably him.”

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    1. Seems like a good reason to get his head in the game, no? Hope it works out for him, thanks for sharing!

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  3. Happy Friday!

    Today on my blog I am sharing the first line from Sweet Melody by Heidi McCahan: https://christianfictiongirl.blog/2019/09/05/first-line-friday-100/. I am just starting chapter seven, so I will share the first couple of lines from there.

    "Rhett wiped down the espresso machine one last time then glanced at the large silver clock with chunky black numbers mounted on the white brick wall. His shift had ended a few minutes ago, and the cafe was empty."

    Happy reading! I hope you have an excellent weekend. 🙂💚📚

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    1. Happy Saturday to you! Thanks for sharing your line again this week, and here's a lovely, book-filled weekend!

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  4. My first line is from Diamond in the Rough by Jen Turano:
    N.Y. City November 1885
    Any smidgen of hope that her entrance into N.Y. high society would be deemed a rousing success died the moment Miss Poppy Garrison’s tiara became firmly attached to the sleeve of her dance partner.

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    1. Oh, poor thing! I can't imagine that scene is going to end well. Thanks for sharing your line with me!

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  5. "When you take risks, you are reminded in the most insistent manner that you have a body. For risk by its very nature threatens to hurt you."

    The Hour Between Dog and Wolf by John Coates.

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    1. Yes, this exactly. I am not afraid of much, but unnecessary risk when injury is nearly guaranteed seems plain stupid.

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  6. The Book I shared on my blog today is The Whistle Walk by Stephenia H McGee but it's also my current read so I'll share the first line from chapter 9 here: "Charles's cousin slapped him on the shoulder, sending his mug of ale sloshing over the rim and into his dinner." Happy Reading! :)

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    1. Happy Reading to you as well Becca, hope you enjoy a good read this weekend!

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  7. Unrelated, but recordings of Titanic interviews with survivors in the 1950s.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVLiZo6Pkak

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    1. That was stunning. Wow. Thanks for giving me the link, I can't even. Just, wow!

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    2. You're welcome! A fellow retro-tech fan sent me a link to a documentary about this French engineer who experimented with audio recordings in 1850, and I wound up spending the evening listening to old interviews from different things for a while!

      (The video argued that Edison should not be given credit for being first to record audio, but having watched it, I'm not convinced. The French fellow couldn't use his recordings for anything but staring at, so he didn't record SOUND so much as the image of sound. Cool, but not phonograph cool!)

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    3. That is so cool, I love this kind of stuff. I have a feeling I would get lost in it just like you did. I am also in favor of giving credit to anyone but Thomas Edison for anything that they invented but he stole.

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  8. Wow- unbelievable. I hope they threw the key away on that %^$^%.

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    1. Right? And people wonder why some women don't come forward for years, even decades. It's because we learn very quickly that we are usually not believed. And unfortunately some women learn that lesson more than once. It hurts my heart.

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  9. I don't read a lot of NF, but this book sound like an important read. Thanks for sharing. Here's the first line from the last book to arrive at my house, The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal. "Talia Inger clutched her side, letting her shoulder fall against the alley wall."

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    1. Non-fiction is definitely my jam so if you ever need a rec, I have plenty. Thanks for sharing your line, happy reading!

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  10. Just wow! That first line got my attention. That is criminal and not just the sleeze guy, but management, too.

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    1. Exactly! There are so many enablers who are just as guilty. But there is never any justice. It all sickens me so much.

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