Who doesn’t love a wounded hero – or heroine? There is something that draws me in when a leading character is not only wrestling with life and relationships, but also a weakness that impacts them on a physical and emotional level. I love that Janice Cantore chose this topic to share about and I think she has it spot on. Enjoy Janice’s take on this issue and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of her new release, Lethal Target, thanks to the lovely folk at Tyndale House.

*****

“And yet we adore a romance in which a defiant struggle against weakness turns to a virtue, and a physical wound becomes a metaphor for the healing power of the beloved.”

Eloisa James

The Strength of the Wounded Hero

I think the wounded hero appeals to readers, especially readers of romantic suspense, for a couple of reasons. First, people like to root for the underdog. A wounded hero, someone who’s lost something or someone and who is shut down and hesitant to get involved with life again, and often doesn’t unless forced, is someone we can cheer to change. If the character is sympathetic—and usually we see flashes of virtue and unshakable loyalty in these heroes—we root for them to change, to overcome the pain. Second, the wounded hero’s story raises questions: Will the hero’s vulnerability turn into an asset? Is his or her struggle against the pain a virtue? Will true love serve to heal the hurt? Will hope triumph and the hero rise above the pain?

I have to go back to one of my favorite movies: Casablanca. I consider Rick the classic wounded hero. His heart was shattered by a woman, something that he’s never recovered from. And suddenly that woman is back in his life, at a time when the world is in upheaval, and she needs a hero. You can’t watch that movie and not root for Rick to step up, to be the hero, to set aside the hurt and do the right thing. Even after he lashes out at Ilsa, we want to see him win over the bitterness. And because eventually he delivers, the story ends up satisfying, even though he doesn’t get the girl.

In one of my favorite novels, Demolition Angel by Robert Crais, the wounds are not only emotional, but physical as well. Carol Starkey is a bomb tech shattered by an IED that killed her partner and nearly killed her. Years later, she’s still trying to hold it together, and another IED takes the life of another tech. We see the turmoil inside this detective who is hanging on by her fingernails, when this second death sends her right back to the day her partner died. And the bomber isn’t finished; more IEDs explode. Can Starkey pull it together and help catch the bad guy? We so want the answer to that question to be yes. It’s an action-packed novel, but the story is Starkey’s redemption and salvation from the specter of past tragedy.

We want to see the redemption; we want to see our hero healed and whole again, triumphing over whatever it is that wounded him. Whether the wounds be physical, emotional, spiritual, or even imaginary. A more recent movie comes to mind, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. There was no explosion or broken romance that wounded Walter; rather, life has beaten him down. His father died when he was in his teens and he was forced to grow up fast, set aside his life plans to go to work and support his mother and sister. At the movie’s beginning we see a man who has carefully and steadfastly fulfilled his obligations and let life pass him by in the process. He’s finally ready to strike out for something he wants, finally pursue a romance, but we see the struggle inside as he simply tries to send a woman a “wink.” It’s engaging and sad, and as the movie progresses, we really root for Walter to win, to break out of his shell, to find his true love and live his life.

People like to hope, and they like to see hope fulfilled. The wounded hero and his or her journey is enduring because it gives people hope and it keeps people turning pages, cheering the hero on. The wounded hero will continue to be the foundation of many great stories.

Thank you for sharing, Janice.

Readers – who are some of your favourite wounded heroes or heroines? Let us know in the comments below or when you enter the giveaway!

Don’t miss Janice’s latest novel…

Police Chief Tess O’Rourke thought she’d taken care of her small town’s drug problem last year. But now Rogue’s Hollow residents are up in arms over a contentious vote on legalizing the sale of marijuana within city limits. And when an eighteen-year-old is found dead of a possible overdose, Tess wonders if the local pot farms might be involved and begins to fear that a new, deadlier drug supply chain has cropped up. As tempers flare and emotions boil over, Tess faces the possibility of losing the town’s support.

With her relationship to Sergeant Steve Logan on shaky ground, Tess could really use a friend, and she feels drawn to Pastor Oliver Macpherson’s quiet presence. But the anger she holds over her father’s death prevents her from embracing his faith and finding peace.

Battling storms within and without, Tess is shocked when a familiar face from her past shows up in town to stir up more trouble. And his threats against Tess may prove lethal.

Janice Cantore is a police officer turned writer. She retired from the Long Beach (California) Police Department after twenty-two years—sixteen in uniform, six as a noncareer employee. She is currently writing romantic suspense for Tyndale House, and her upcoming release, Lethal Target, second in the Line of Duty series, following Crisis Shot, is set in a small town in Oregon.

Relz Reviewz Extras
All Things Cantore @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Janice’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: Lethal Target or Koorong

a Rafflecopter giveaway