First-time author S.P. Brown decided to deal with her life experiences by writing a novel, “Gifts in Brown Paper Packages,” which draws from her painful, childhood experiences, and in this journey there was a discovery that eventually lead to self-love.
The novel laid bare the truth of her pain, which resonated with readers because her novel debuted at #1 in three categories on Amazon within the first 72 hours of its release.
The story is told through the eyes of Kyrie, a 17-year-old, and is loosely based on her own difficult experiences growing up in Harlem and despite Kyrie being fictional, she does use the character as a vehicle to reflect on her ability to overcome the trauma of domestic abuse that somehow, miraculously, turn her physical and emotional survival into a triumphant and thriving life.
Becoming an author was a challenge for S.B. Brown, which she accomplished while working as a vice president of Employment Counsel for a major entertainment conglomerate. Determined, Brown wrote between those quiet, stolen hours in the middle of the night, after putting her three children to bed.
“Gifts in Brown Paper Packages” focuses on emotional and physical abuse from a person who Kyrie refers to as Man.
So broken by the abuse, she choose to leap from her bedroom window into the unknown, leaving her mother and young brother behind. Out on the streets, Kyrie has no idea how to live on her own but embraces the risks.
Focused on helping those suffering from abuse, Brown is involved with The Safe Center of Long Island (TSCLI), a non profit agency comprehensively serving the needs of victims of domestic violence and inner personal trauma in Nassau County – and the only organization in the county providing free services to child and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking. In addition to helping to raise funds for a Capital Campaign project to build an expanded new safe house facility, she has served on the nominating committee for the past two years, with the goal of helping to identify diverse talent for TSCLI’s Board of Directors.
She is currently the only African American board member. In 2020, Brown was named vice president of the Executive Committee of the board of directors. She will become president of the board this month.
“For many years, I felt a lot of guilt and shame associated with those stories and felt like sharing them in my professional circles as a lawyer and even in my social circles wouldn’t engender real respect,” Brown says.
“Eventually I realized my truth and that every part of my background, including the terrible, painful memories, served a purpose and informed what I consider this fabulous end product. That strength and resilience came from my path. It’s not necessary for readers to know the real life experiences versus the instances where I employed creative license or drew from other’s real life experiences.