He Calls Me by the Thunder/Meditations on Freedom Book

I skimmed this book as a teen, and did not fully comprehend what was going on, so I decided to read it again. It addresses the importance of not keeping secrets. The truth may hurt people at the time but a secret will hurt worse in the long run. God is only occasionally mentioned. Set in the 1960s, the story works through adoption, abuse of a child, abuse of a spouse, a woman deciding to be in the workforce rather than get married, the aftermath of a stroke, forced marriage due to pregnancy out of wedlock, and rape.

Cari, the protagonist, is raped and gives the baby up for adoption. Later in the book she must confront her rapist since he ends up being her grandparent's gardener. Cari's grandparents know Cari's story but have decided to let Cari tell them in her own time. Cari's mom is afraid of what her husband may do to Cari and her former in-laws if she doesn't stay with him. Cari's stepfather lies about Cari being his legally adopted child (the courts denied him this), and is very greedy. Jeff, Cari's husband later in the book hates his mother because she let her boyfriends beat him and eventually gave him up for adoption.