ANALYSIS OF NOVELS 2012 THE CONTROL FREAK CHRONICLES

THE CONTROL FREAK CHRONICLES
Protagonist Helena Treadwell
Helena Treadwell is well named. She does ‘tread well’ and very 
carefully, but she’s about to follow a different path, one that will 
lead her in a different direction, to move two steps back before she is 
able to move forward.
This is the only novel I have written where an author’s note is 
included to explain my reason for writing.
The issue of control freakery is often seen as an issue of non 
importance – a bit like snobbery. Something to be laughed at and not 
taken seriously because it doesn’t ‘harm’ any one. But control freakery 
is emotional abuse and in writing the book I wanted to focus on all 
aspects of emotional abuse whether it be by the establishment (church, 
media, city, government) or by those who should be close to you and of 
support (parents, partners, friends).
The protagonist is Helena, who is a successful radio presenter and who 
has a young son, living in the sea side town in which she grew up.    
She has effectively ‘taken control’ of her life, moving on after an 
acrimonious divorce – a constant theme in Ms Tucker’s novels (!).   She 
has friends, family and acquaintances and then her life appears to fall 
apart.   She loses her job, her ex moves to the area with the other 
woman, and her father dies.    Facing challenges she finds the path she 
takes lead her to find strength and opportunity. The theme in this 
novel as in my other novels is how when doors seem to close and control 
is lost, other doors open and other opportunities are created.  Indeed 
it is Helena’s understanding she has more control over her life now 
when she loses her job, as this increases her clarity – (similar to the 
understanding or awakening of Sarah Giles in LYOBS and LYOBM).
Helena is made aware of ‘realities’ and different people experiencing 
different realities of the same incident.   Therefore what is 
‘reality’?   (This is a theme I develop to a conclusion in my latest 
novel COUNTING DOWN TO TEN).  The concept of ‘reality’ and what is 
reality is a focus of the novel as the program on which Helena works is 
a ‘reality show’ of her home town.  Ironically the exec producer Elliot 
Sterling, wants to manipulate the reality (distort it) for his purposes 
so the ‘reality show’ is nothing of the sort.    Helena is always 
seeking truth, about herself and from others.   It is her fear that 
prevents her from doing so, and once she overcomes her fear, she is 
able to create a reality for herself that she believes in.
Helena perceives herself as being controlled by events and others 
around her, when really the only one holding her back and controlling 
her is her own fear, the mind sets she has learnt as a child (she was 
loved conditionally by her mother and consequently feels all 
relationships are conditional), and she has to unlearn this, learn to 
trust again and ‘enjoy’, which she does when she meets Jarred, the 
‘director’ who literally helps her along her path.
The relationship she has with her father is interesting. He sees her as 
his little girl but it is his death which allows her to confront many 
fears in her life, having dealt with one trauma she puts other issues 
into perspective and is able to deal with all of them, literally all at 
once (within a few chapters).
By showing compassion and courage (with her mother, with Eliot, with 
Leonard) she takes control by letting go.
The male characters within the novel are, with a few exceptions, 
conveyed as either bullying and weak (Eliot, Leonard) or insipid and 
well meaning (Peter, the TV croanies). Even Jarred is understated, used 
as a foil to show Helena she has done well and is on the right path.   
And that in learning to trust herself and her own judgement, she will 
begin to trust others again.    In many ways, being confronted with the 
lies others wish to perpetuate (Leonard with his lifestyle and friends 
and ‘good father’ image) and Eliot (the reality show), she is able to 
gain strength and decide to focus on what she is able to live with – 
her intregrity intact.   What happens to the other characters is 
irrelevant, her concern is for happiness and that of her son Frederick.