Spite The Devil

About the Book

Spite the Devil begins with a legend of Dutch settlers sailing up the Hudson River near New Jersey in the 1600's. One brave man beholds the opposite New York shore and dives into the icy waters shouting he will make it to that "other side" in spite of the devil. When he reaches New York he names the land "Spuyten Duyvil" which means spite the devil. This is where our heroine Janice Rashco gets her roots.

Janice grows up in the 1950's with a strong Irish Catholic faith and relentless encounters with the devil. She receives her education from a small community of Dominican nuns. When the family overgrows their tiny New York apartment they move to Connecticut where Janice finds some disturbing changes taking place in her religion. She begins a quest to find the truth.

In the interim of her searching she meets and instantly falls in love with Jack Watkins. They enjoy many blissful years of love. Suddenly this changes with a death in Jack's family. Jack becomes unfaithful. But Janice's love for him never fails. After many episodes of his cheating the two young lovers part ways. Jack moves to California and Janice is drawn to the South of France where she enters a Dominican convent. She is taught a great life's lesson there. But because she is discouraged by what she sees in France she returns to the States continuing her investigation of the Catholic Church and soon meets and marries Matt O'Malley. All the while she never lets go of her unfailing and everlasting love for Jack.

Spite the Devil is a heartwarming tale of good versus evil while steeped in history and everlasting love. The journey teaches the fundamental concepts of love and rationalizes suffering conveying this experience as beneficial not only for ourselves, but for others as well, to gain entrance into heaven or reach the "other side" in spite of the devil.

About the Author

Janice Magner was born in Yonkers New York and graduated with honors from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She also completed a writing course with Long Ridge Writer's in Redding, Connecticut.

Ms. Magner is a Third Order member of St. Dominic and lives in Connecticut with her husband, four children and cocker spaniel. This is her first book.