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David Beasley
Author
Chocolate for the Poor
Rape and wife and child abuse are common news today. Their distressing frequency makes us question the safeguards and the very nature of our society. Where have we gone wrong? Yet these crimes have always been present in civilized societies. Chocolate for the poor is a fictionalized account of an actual event from 1805. Ephraim Wheeler, an unemployed labourer, raped his 13 year old daughter in the Berkshire Mountain community of Massachusetts. His trial and the reactions of his family, friends, and the authorities to this rarely revealed violation bring out the political divisions and varying attitudes of different segments of the society. By looking back to a simpler community struggling with the issue of rape, we are able to see the crime in the round and judge the actions of the protagonists from the perspective of our experience. "Beasley takes the reader on a search for justice, both for the victim and the offender. The journey is not pleasant and the paths it takes bear striking resemblances to the crossroads we face today when dealing with such crimes." Brantford Expositor. "The political intrigues are brought to life vividly.... Beasley allows us to see, and more importantly to feel, some of the forces that enmesh a man only too easily and drive him to acts otherwise incomprehensible." Hamilton Spectator
Reviews
View ,Hamilton, ON

Chocolate for the poor 

Eloquent Portrait of a Grim Tale 

Chocolate For The Poor is based on the true story about an incestuous rape which took place in Massachusetts in 1805. The victim was 13 year old Betsy Wheeler, and the perpetrator, her father Ephraim. Ephraim Wheeler was arrested for his crime, and found guilty by a prejudiced jury of known enemies. It was a controversial conviction that precipitates political intrigue throughout the State. In novelizing this historical event, author David Beasley (a Hamilton-born descendant of the same Beasley family who owned the property of Dundurn Castle before Sir Allan MacNab) has written a page turning meditation that queries political expediency, religious fanaticism, superstition, fate, rage and redemption. In his violent opening chapter, the beating of Wheeler's wife Harriette and the raping of his daughter Betsy lay the ground work for one of his main themes that the past brutalization of one person inevitably leads to a continuation of such acts in the future. Wheeler had been a victim of physical and psychological abuse during his own childhood. A second theme which is presented in this novel, is the notion of collective guilt. He questions society's culpability in the criminal acts of disreputable individuals like Ephraim Wheeler can also be victims due to society's indifference to their plight. Beasley is a crisp, economical writer who paints in pictures with short phrases. Chocolate For The Poor is an entertaining read that amounts to more than just candy for the brain (no pun intended.) With its gripping story and interesting cast of colourful characters, it is a well-written novel which addresses issues as relevant today as they were in 1805

reviewed by Gord Jackson - View

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