Sun Valley Court

Born and raised in a Dutch enclave of Grand Rapids, Janie now lives with her husband in a suburb outside the same city. It’s the 1990s. They have been married for nineteen years when her husband announces he is moving out. Their suburban church is a chip off the old block—the Reformed tradition with which Janie is especially well acquainted. Although some opposition has taken place, patriarchy remains the underlying given. Expectations of submission remain, along with punitive views of mental health and its stigma. Subject to scrutiny and gossip, Janie contends with these difficulties in the context of the church, the one-way community too tightly knit for their own good, and the family court system of West Michigan. Read more