Valerie’s Debut Novel

Dana is blessed—though the uninitiated may say cursed—with three identities, each with their own set of memories and desires: Dana, the earnest leader, seeks resilience; Diane, the badass protector, seeks her sexuality; and Ephiy, the unknowable navigator, seeks sensory touch.  

The possibility of fusion—becoming one unified self—permeates their inner world and threatens Ephiy’s and Diane’s existence. With sharp insight, Ephiy narrates how each of them pursues their respective destinies. 

In her quest to shed social stigma, Dana moves to Tunisia, with its alluring deserts, Mediterranean beaches, and struggles with French colonialism. While Diane and Ephiy grapple with dislodged memories, Dana thrives and marries Shauqi. They later move to Canada and settle in a small town, where Dana gives birth to Nell.

When a man in a position of authority demeans Dana, Diane retaliates with an act of vandalism. A deal is struck and Diane cooperates, but her memories provoke two significant shifts: one, she incites Dana to uncover the truth about their parents and perpetrator; and two, she rejects her apothisexuality. 

Meanwhile, ephemeral Ephiy relinquishes her hold on existence. Soon after, Dana must come to terms with a sexual transgression involving Shauqi that is both emancipating and loathsome. 

Dana journeys to the town and house where the atrocity that created Ephiy and Diane occurred. During a seminal walk through a forest from her childhood, Dana and Diane arrive at a grim realization about secrecy and abuse. They resolve to ensure Nell’s safety. 

***To lend credence to the nature of dissociation, For Ephiy (85,000 words), has been reviewed by dissociation therapist Andrea Sheldon, LMHC, CCHT, CP.  

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