On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve talks with Tanya Boteju all about her fantastic sophomore release, Bruised!
Bruised follows teen Daya, who ever since the tragic death of her parents has struggled to deal with the aching deep in her heart. When she discovers the rough and tumble world of roller derby, she finds that perhaps this is the outlet she needs to medicate the pain.
Here’s the summary…
Whip It meets We Are Okay in this vibrant coming-of-age story, about a teen girl navigates first love, identity, and grief when she immerses herself in the colorful, brutal, beautiful world of roller derby—from the acclaimed author of Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens.
To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control. Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn’t need to deal with the ache deep in her heart.
So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she’s going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she’ll need all the opportunities she can get.
The deeper Daya immerses herself into the world of roller derby, though, the more she realizes it’s not the simple physical pain-fest she was hoping for. Her rough-and-tumble teammates and their fans push her limits in ways she never imagined, bringing Daya to big truths about love, loss, strength, and healing.
Bruised doesn’t look to solve any of the bigger world issues that plague our daily lives, it’s more concerned with the six inches in front of your face. Or more specifically, how the day-to-day act of being a part of society while at the same time immune to its whims, can cause someone who’s experienced trauma to remain numb to it all.
Steve and Tanya talk about all sorts of things including roller derby, the difficult but necessary topic of self-harm, Bruised of course, and much, much more.
For more information, including how to order a copy of Bruised, click HERE!
