The Hidden Life of a Young Woman

The context of the story begins with an overview of the family's heritage of both parents which provides the reader with the character of their ancestors that rightly prepared them for having the moral and insightful capabilities they faced in caring for their daughter named Joanna. From the first chapter, the story tells of her critical birth process which left her seriously injured, grievously impacting her own life but also strongly affecting her immediate family as well. Her first five years and her schooling away from home for three years are presented. When she became eight years old she was transferred to an Institute where she could develop skills in hope of discovering a more rounded promise toward achieving a life worth living. Through training, hard work and perseverance she is able to reach the capability of living independently and working in a professional dental office. (No doubt aided because she has been blessed by having a prodigious memory in most all activities.) While her effort was a significant achievement, it demanded enormous concentration and most surely caused emotional and medical problems which she overcame only through God's providential care to live in a normal world which none of her early physicians could ever have imagined. After working for some thirty five years she chose to quit and has since come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior. She also enjoys being a volunteer in helping the needy which is ironic since she has depended on others for so much in her own life. On the personal side, this young woman delights in being with her family and her company has always been equally meaningful for both her sisters and Dad . Their encouragement has kept her growing in understanding to believe in herself and continually improve in most everything she does. She visits them in New York City, Tidewater Virginia and central Pennsylvania and rejoices in being with her family knowing that she is indeed much loved.