Beyond Silent Cadence: As the Baffling Beat Goes On by Leisley M. Lantram is a story about an abused wife who is looking for a way to escape. The book allows you to see a truth that is too often hidden. A victim that is in denial and is struggling to find her voice.

Lantram’s main character, Christa Fonteneau, in Beyond Silent Cadence is a fashion savvy housewife. At first I felt sorry for her, but it grew to annoyance. I wanted to help her and for her to help herself. Christa was looking for a reason to escape her abusive marriage to Damon. The reason finally came to her, but it came many years later. Damon’s back story was told in the beginning of the book, and it explained why he is the way he is. The story made Christa feel sorry for him, but it did not work on me. I do wish the story would have gone on a different route, but it is eerily similar to actual life.

A few of the things I liked about Beyond Silent Cadence was the hand drawn illustrations scattered throughout the book. They made me pay extra attention to the events that were occurring in them. I also liked that Christa was finally able to get a backbone and escape. Beyond Silent Cadence reminds readers that domestic abuse happens and is often hidden. Not all women are as lucky as Christa and able to escape an abusive marriage. I hope this book can show someone that they can get out.

Beyond Silent Cadence: As the Baffling Beat Goes On is written by Leisley M. Lantram. Lantram's novella is a nerve wracking piece that successfully captures the essence of an abusive marriage/relationship. Christa, the protagonist and a mother, struggles with her life with her husband Damon. To Damon, Christa is the ideal wife, but she has other plans. Without her husband's approval, Christa enrolls herself into graduate school, nervously wondering about what Damon would say during the process.

The author does a really good job describing the back story and history of the two characters. It is clear from the very beginning that Damon is abusive, the apex being when he proposes to her in a shocking way. However, Christa is still young, innocent, and naive, and she agrees to marry him, thinking that love will find a way. Although Damon can be a loving father (in his affection towards his two daughters), Christa slowly begins to realize Damon's true colours.

I like the suspense and the tone Lantram uses throughout her novella. Although the dialogue can be a bit too formal at times, it gives readers a really good insight into the characters' personalities. Through little details, such as Dr. Hydelmon's body language during Christa's interview, Lantram also portrays emotions excellently. The characters are vibrant and colourful on the page. Their personalities are realistic, mirroring the real world almost perfectly. Damon, instead of being a stereotypical abusive father, has two sides to him and is well rounded. Christa is a nice, independent woman, who likes to make decisions for herself. Readers can definitely relate to the two, a good asset for any novel.

In Beyond Silent Cadence by Leisley M. Lantram, Christa had learned to accept and live with her husband's flaws from early in their marriage. She made excuses for his behavior and did her best to hide the pitiable state of their marriage from the world, and especially from their two little girls. The more she tried to make it work, the worse things got. While she stayed home to raise their two babies, he was always out drinking and partying, and never once showed appreciation for her part in building their family. Christa was ever the dutiful wife who gave their marriage her all and expected little in return, but soon the little became nothing and then it became criticism, rejection, resentment and abuse. Tired of putting on a facade for the world while she suffered endlessly, she decided to take back some control in her own life by going back to school and revamping her career. How this would change her life and the dynamics in their marriage remained to be seen.

Beyond Silent Cadence by Leisley M. Lantram is a deeply touching story of a woman's struggle to escape the clutches of a marriage filled with abuse. The story portrays the miserable cycle of life women in abusive marriages go through, what they sacrifice in an attempt to make the marriages work and what that sacrifice takes away from their lives. The story feels real and is in touch with the true nature of what goes on in such marriages. It does not paint the usual unrealistic fairy tale, but instead portrays the reality of the plight of countless women around the world who suffer silently in abusive marriages. Beyond Silent Cadence by Leisley M. Lantram is deep, sad, very moving and in touch with the reality of the theme.

If you're looking for a dramatic story with a deeply emotional appeal, then Leisley M. Lantram's Beyond Silent Cadence: As the Baffling Beat Goes On is perfectly suited for you. Struggling with a marriage that has long since lost its flavor, Christa is searching for a way to claim some independence and relief for herself. The wedded bliss of Damon and Christa gets lost in the shuffle of job promotions, relocations and a job and social life that stretch the limits. Christa balances trying to hold things together for herself and their two daughters, keeping their finances in order, and trying to hide Damon's drinking problem that on numerous occasions escalates into violence. With her self-esteem in a shambles, going back to school for a master's degree and a renewal of her teaching certification isn't easy. However, it is the only avenue that she can see to get her out of the mess that her life has become. Will Christa be able to hold it all together until she can finish her degree and get her own career started?

Beyond Silent Cadence: As the Baffling Beat Goes On digs deep into the psyche of a woman who, in spite of being abused and neglected, stays in her marriage long past what ought to be tolerated. Reading this book as a man, I felt a great deal of shame for the neglect and was convicted of some of my own shortcomings. However, as someone who was a co-dependent spouse, I could follow along with Christa's emotional responses and decisions with approval. As hard as it is to face this sort of reality, this story is apt to touch millions of souls who have faced the struggle that lies upon the fine line between love and responsibility and that of survival and self-preservation. Leisley M. Lantram does an excellent job of drawing her readers into this deeply emotional book and keeps them on the edge of their seat throughout. Beyond Silent Cadence: As the Baffling Beat Goes On is both gut-wrenching and encouraging. Highly recommended for those who love emotional drama.