TYPORAMA
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Catherine Marshall-Smith (acclaimed author of "American Family") is back with her second gripping novel.
This intense, suspenseful story follows a young mother fighting to save herself when her would-be rescuer proves to be as dangerous as the man she escaped.
A portion of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the Center for Domestic Peace in San Rafael, California.
July 21, 2026
She Writes Press
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PRAISE FOR THE RESILIENCE OF RED THREAD:
"Riveting...pulls you deep into the miasma of domestic violence thinking, where flashbacks write the rules, dread poisons logic, and challenge becomes a fight for survival."—Mary E. Plouffe Ph.D., clinical psychologist and author of “Grief Like Yours”
“A story of breaking the patterns of trauma, and taking the future that you want.”—Lynn S. Hightower, Shamus Award–winning author of “Mirror Twin”
“Once you start reading ‘The Resilience of Red Thread,’ you will not want to put it down. A well-written and suspense-driven story that will envelop you — this is a page turner!”—Amy S. Peele, author of “Last Bite”
“Catherine Marshall-Smith is skilled in the instrument of the heart, a writer who takes you on a harrowing journey to the inner depths of what it means to be human.” —Rhodi Hawk, author of “This Town Won't Tell”
“insightful... gripping... proceeds at the pace of a thriller”—Foreword Clarion Reviews
“chilling...attention-grabbing... enough excitement to keep the pages turning”—Kirkus Reviews
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ABOUT THE RESILIENCE OF RED THREAD:
After twenty-one-year-old Emily Miller flees her abusive ex-husband, Lee, with the exterminator she hired to kill hornets in her backyard, she finally feels safe.
Jake Clayton offers Emily and her daughter a beautiful place to live where neither Lee nor her mother, who wants custody of Jenna, can find them.
Unlike Lee, Jake has a steady job, doesn’t drink (she’s never met a man who doesn’t), and doesn’t hit.
Isolated in a cabin in the Santa Cruz mountains, Emily distracts herself from the liquor cabinet and from worrying that Lee will track her down by planning a surprise for Jake: a reunion with the sisters he hasn’t seen since foster care.
The deeper she digs into Jake’s past, the more she realizes that he’s very different from the man she believed him to be.
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An Interview with
Catherine Marshall-Smith
1. What was the inspiration behind “The Resilience of Red Thread”?
I had a gentle, intellectual and nurturing father who had random fits of rage in which he shouted, threw and broke things, and hit family members. These episodes shaped my relationships with men whether they were friends, lovers, coworkers or bosses. I constantly evaluated my behavior. Was I too loud, not assertive enough, shrill? I never wanted to trigger rejection so I agreed to dynamics that left me with insufficient boundaries. I want men to know they can be kind and nurturing 98% of the time but if they are violent 2% of the time, it is the violence that will define them.
2. What research did you do to prepare for writing this story?
I interviewed psychotherapists, social workers, and advocates for women, observed in family court, and listened to the stories of survivors. I shared my discomfort with writing about violence against women and one survivor told me, “There doesn’t have to be physical violence to have a destructive level of control. Blocking access to money, playing music and movies with misogynistic themes, or threatening to take the kids are techniques for gaining a destructive level of control.”
3. Why did you choose to use alternating points of view to tell this story?
I wanted the reader to see that the words and actions of the abuser, Jake, that appeared loving and protective were intended to foster dependency and fear. I picked up from survivors that one of the lowest points came when someone who loved them said, “Why didn’t you just leave?” There is nothing easy about leaving an abuser; it is the most dangerous time for a woman. I made it my mission to write a book where the reader wouldn’t ask that question, but rather: “Where’d she find the courage to go?”
4. Why did you choose to show Emily struggling with alcoholism, and what does this do to dispel the myth of the “perfect victim”?
The books and movies about domestic violence without fail show women who are without faults. One woman I talked to said she thought she deserved the abuse because she was drinking alcohol. Lots of people are alcoholics, or addicted to drugs or sex, but none of them deserve to live in fear for their lives. Emily struggles with alcohol but what makes her noble is the way she continues to fight for her life and to protect her daughter.
5. Tell us about the Center for Domestic Peace, and why it’s important to you to draw attention to the work they’re doing?
If you visit their website, it has everything a woman might need. It also has training for men. We need to stop asking victims to change their behavior and instead turn to the abusers. When I participate in their events, I feel powerful. We don’t just have to accept violence against women. Let’s focus on raising boys who respect and genuinely love women. They make that seem possible.
6. What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
I’m going to quote Dr. Jessica Taylor from her book Why Women Are Blamed For Everything: “We need to challenge victim blaming every single time it happens. Men are 100% responsible for male violence. Women and girls carry 0% of the blame. Ever. None. Nada. Zero.”
Catherine Marshall-Smith realized her calling to be an author after many years teaching 6th grade writing.
She published her debut novel, “American Family,” in 2016, and the novel has sold internationally.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley in English literature, a teaching credential from San Jose State University, and a Writing Credential from UCLA, where she was nominated for the James Kirkwood Award for excellence in the writing of fiction.
Catherine is in charge of philanthropy with the Women's Club of Marin and The Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) of Novato, California.
She lives with her husband in the San Francisco Bay Area. “The Resilience of Red Thread” is her second novel.
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