A Slapper's Guide to Chastity

In a psychedelic trip through Henrietta de Boer's life, Virginia Weir tells the tale of a woman plagued by bad decision making and dire consequences. Henrietta is, in a word, a tart. She pledges love to one woman, but throws down with another - who happens to be her subordinate in the Armed Forces. After facing the scandal of a full court martial, she must face the even harsher judgment of her family - the father who just wants her to have a goal, and the mother who wants her to undergo conversion therapy so she can stop being a lesbian. Never mind what her high-society circle of influence thinks.

Troubled by her lot in life, Henrietta finds God in the strangest of places, and desperately tries to make good on a life otherwise wasted. In the end, she is troubled woman, challenged by both society's and her own expectations of her, and her inner demons chomping at the bit to get out.

Slapper's Guide is written in a clipped, militaristic tone, packed with dry British commentary and often curt encounters and dialogue. What is most intriguing about the story is the foreword and afterword which detail exactly how Henrietta was brought to life. Perhaps even more compelling than Henrietta's story is Ms. Weir's - unashamed and direct about the effects of mental illness, and the creative surges and terrible dark places that accompany it. I found her honestly to be brave and refreshing.

an excellent read

this book was fun to read, I liked the characters and the story line was very good. Real world situations made it believable. At times it felt a little stiff to me. It was well worth a read if you like a little bit of mystery and crime and a lot of romance.