DAUGHTER IN THE DARK
proposal : overview
"There are 400,000 Catholic priests in the world and an estimated 20,000 children they have secretly fathered - none of whom have told their story. Until now." - Laurie Boutwell
In the competitive landscape of memoir, Daughter In The Dark offers what no other can - a firsthand account of a priest's secret daughter, coming forward for the first time to tell her tale - one of grief, growth, and ultimately transcendence. In twenty-three chapters over three acts the narrative evolves with its protagonist, from a childhood outcast in charge of her substance-abusing mother's care, to a fully realized and emotionally healed adult - one who escapes the cycle of violence she feared would be her fate. Her arc and personal struggles paint a bigger picture - of the secretive and shameful lives that the children of Catholic priests endure, and why we must open a dialogue regarding their existence:
"I stepped back and stared into the silhouette, my entire life lurking beyond its black edge. A room full of memory. Absent of mine." (Daughter In The Dark, p. 239)
Daughter In The Dark tackles tough topics in page-turning prose and intentionally sharp chapter breaks, offsetting its contextual gravity with humorous rhetoric and child-like joy:
"Where's Chuck?" Mom asked, ready to go.
Like an actor with a cue he belly flopped on-scene, inserting himself house left with the honk of a Mexican horn. He yanked up an e-brake and pushed himself out the window, plopping on the ground like a freshly foaled horse.
“Okay dears..." Mom looked from the strange birth to us. "Be good." (p. 57)
Daughter In The Dark delves into the sacred bond of family, setting up the reader's compassion for its characters while preparing for the final payoff - their fall from power as the protagonist breaks free from their abuse:
"Quiet as a Christmas mouse I plotted a new course. Sinatra was singing from the speakers and the clink of their sherry danced across the notes. Dad took Mom by the hand and sniffed her salty-sweet nape. He pushed her earring away with his lips and whispered things in her ear. Things I didn't understand - tenderness and memories of a life before this." (p. 77)
Against the backdrop of the '60s and '70s and juxtaposed against the golden era of television, the narrative incites nostalgia and heartfelt sincerity while offering fresh perspectives on family, female identity, and faith. Through Boutwell's unique life experiences, it tackles themes of dysfunctional family dynamics, substance abuse, childhood abandonment, resilience, identity, and personal growth. It exposes societal bias and religious hypocrisy while offering a path forward - one that will resonate with a global audience of women, especially book clubbers, baby boomers, and apostates.
The authors were careful in their language and treatment of these issues in order to cast a wider net, master-fully appealing to women of faith while fundamentally questioning the modern canon. This controversy, cleverly embedded in the nonfiction narrative, will drive debate and sales among secondary audiences: curious Catholics, feminists, survivors, recovered addicts, academics, and aesthetes.
The authors plan to continue rigorously building their platforms and online presences while engaging in speakings, readings and conferences. They have begun submitting to literary magazines, competitions, and university presses excerpts from this book, passages from previous unpublished work, and new material. They will utilize their extensive list of entertainment professionals and celebrity contacts from Freeman's career in film and television to secure advance praise from people of influence and help promote the book via social media, podcasts, and online content. They plan to contact local media outlets including magazines, newspapers, radio, & TV stations for further exposure. Determined to succeed, they are willing to use their advance for additional publicistity and marketing prior to publication of Daughter In The Dark.
To request a full proposal, please email daughterinthedark@gmail.com