2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Detective Jeannie McBride is still struggling following her assault and beating during the last case. Sam asks her to help go through the cards to look for additional threats. Was Sam taking a risk here or do you think she knew it would be a step towards her healing? Was Jeannie’s refusal to see a therapist something that should be addressed?

Jeannie considers herself a strong woman. I understand her initial decision not to talk to a therapist, but someone needs to help her see the need. She has to relive the event to see it was not her fault and to move forward.

Sam was great in this situation. It is the first time that I honestly felt Sam wasn't as selfish as I thought. She knew that Jeannie needed a push, and she gave her one that didn't require Jeannie to step out of her comfort zone. To me, it wasn't a risk. Jeannie is a detective and those cards called to her.

This is one place in the book that I got over my dislike of Sam for a while.

Only Jeannie can decide when to accept help. It cannot be forced on anyone or it will do more harm than good.

When it comes to Jeanie, Sam reveals a much more intuitive and less selfish part of her personality. She realized that Jeannie needed at least some small part of her life to be in her control. Sam knew that giving her the cards and the cold would provide that for her.

Jeannie is a strong woman who has been made to feel weak. She doesn't like that but has no idea how to make the weak feeling go away. Counseling would have certainly helped. By having Jeannie go through the wedding cards, Sam is able to draw her back to police work and give her something other than her rape to focus on.

I’m with you, Anita. Jeannie needed her power back. Work is the obvious therapy but going into work also felt traumatizing. Giving her those cards to go through was the first step she needed that got her engine started again. It was a brilliant and thoughtful idea on Sam’s part.

Jeannie really needs to explore therapy and who she needed to hear this from is another rape survivor. I hope that’s a future path for her.