The perfect match. Or so she thinks.
Her warmth and empathy.
His charisma and ambition.
Yet, Cathy feels safer teaching battle-scarred gangsters in a prison classroom than at home with her own partner.
By day she walks on eggshells. At night she sleeps on the backseat of her car. Her safe place is an all-night roadhouse; her best friend, her journal.
The slow boil intensifies until, one day, Cathy finds her French grandmother’s armoire smashed to pieces in her bedroom, a hammer on the floor, her life in splinters beside it.
Part memoir, part inspiration, Boiling a Frog Slowly is unflinching in its confrontation of abuse and utterly courageous in its portrayal of redemption.
A story of loving, hurting, and healing – a gripping reminder that courage comes from within. Always.
– Tracy Going
A tale of insidious abuse told with heart-breaking honesty and humility. The triumphant ending is truly uplifting.
– Sue Nyathi
What readers have said:
It was such a validating book to read. There were so many unspoken about thoughts that you had that were so relatable. Reading your book really helped me, thank you.
Thank you for your book. It's my story too. Through and through.
I am reading your book. I was in a relationship with a narcissist for six years. I finally feel seen, heard and understood. Thank you for your book.
Heart wrenching, yet hopeful and inspiring.
Boiling a Frog Slowly: A memoir of love gone wrong by Cathy Park Kelly
Cathy Park Kelly is a writer living in Cape Town with her husband and son.
She is a qualified high school English teacher with an Honours in Applied Linguistics. She has worked with people from all walks of life, from teenagers and inner-city artists to business executives and prisoners. She is also an entrepreneur who sells 3D design software to support her writing workshop addiction.
Her first book, Inside Outside, a memoir of teaching juvenile offenders awaiting trial, was quoted extensively by the (then) Minister of Correctional Services in a speech. This is the closest she ever wants to get to Parliament.
She has had non-fiction essays and short stories published in several South African magazines and anthologies. In December 2021, her second memoir, Boiling a Frog Slowly, was published by Karavan Press. It made the longlist for the prestigious Sunday Times Literary Awards 2022.
Cathy loves how stories can crack open doors and offer seams of light in the dark.
