“You are a wonderful writer. I was very taken with your memoir, which while devastating, is also so touching and full of life and heart and hope. In your book you bring to life the whole crushing many-chaptered story, with a level of detail that is astonishing. It is quite an achievement, an utterly compelling tale of every possible type of childhood trauma and of a soul gifted with an unshakable resilience. No one saw you, but you kept catching glimpses of yourself, the real you under all the protective, necessary survival layers. As you are aware, this is inspirational, a story you absolutely needed to tell. —I very much like your approach of many short chapters. This brings organization to all the disorganization that characterized your childhood. It also effectively brings home the reality of how, growing up, you lived all these story lines, a bewildering multitude of twists and turns that you actually transform into a coherent narrative. —Your use of metaphor strikes me again and again. It is so creative and draws the reader into your world. The experiences are quite often stark and bleak, but the language is rich and inviting. Your descriptions of circumstance after life circumstance, one more shocking and upsetting than the next, are shot through with light and redemption. At no point does the reader want to turn away from the ugliness and pain. We want to stay, with the author, who is not asking us to take care of the child, because she herself is embracing the child. She asks us only to be the little girl’s witness and offers her story to be part of our healing, as needed. Alongside you, we witness your young-child self, with sad admiration and tender compassion. There is the constant juxtaposing of the pain and horror, darkness and grief, with moments of quiet strength, of connection, of small victories. This is one resilient child. One of my favorite lines in the book is: “I carried resilience the way others carried burdens.” —You show your lifelong resilience very effectively. Many times throughout the book, as you describe your repeated experiences of abuse and betrayal, you point to a knowing deep down, that here is another lesson, not yet learned but stored away and “carried forward” to be made meaning of by the future adult. Now here you are, as author of your memoir, doing just that. Your conclusions reveal the clarity you came to regarding the wounds and scars your childhood inflicted on you. You tick off the ages; at 3, 5, 8, 10, 11…(eleven seemed to never end!) and show your deep understanding of what “each” child was made to endure so unjustly in her natural, youthful ignorance. That the child was also wise enough to recognize lessons is the original miracle. —Another aspect of the later chapters is your courageous truth-telling about how the child moving into adulthood discovers the challenges of managing learned patterns: the vulnerability to predators and the confusions around what love actually looks and feels like. You let the reader in on the truth of the path of healing, that it is a long journey, that for you would of course continue beyond where the book ends. Your learning and healing, your path of transformation, was only just beginning at that point in time. You also rightly emphasize the important truth, named by many wise ones before you, that “healing is not forgetting. It is about remembering.” —Your conclusions also reveal who you are as a human being. You’ve already shown the child’s open heart as you tell stories of her caring for others. At the end, you make it clear that your heart remains open despite all that happened, as shown by your generous current attitude toward your family, your acknowledgment of their afflicted lives and of the ways love and support for each other survive in various forms that continue to matter. ”

Winnie Piccolo M.A., LMFT

“I am just jaw dropped at your story of course, but even more so your at resilience and strength. Each chapter brought more heartbreak, and the abuse you suffered physically, emotionally, sexually and even spiritually brought me to tears over and over again. I hate that this is your story, but I'm thankful that you have shared it. While it is your story specifically, (no others will have an exact replica in their own life ) - the themes of poverty, abuse, family secrets, disassociation, and more will be incredibly relatable to many, many readers. I think this book is important and I hope its message spreads far and wide. One of my favorite lines was in the first few pages where you said "the sounds seemed to mock a sense of order that the family so desperately lacked." That is so well written and paints a picture of the confusion and inner chaos you were feeling. ”

Jenny I.

“It is raw and sometimes difficult to imagine what you endured. I could never imagine looking at you and sharing time with you when our girls were young, that that was the life you had up to that point. You are an amazing writer! It is easy to read and descriptive, often painfully so. Your manuscript is powerful, horrible and painful. But by my knowing you, your experience has made you a loving, beautiful soul. I’m only about 100 pages in, have no idea what’s coming up next. But, you’re the happy ending. ”

Wendy N.

“The ending like the beginning is gripping. The choice of the closing words gives hope. The strength that you have and have always had shines through. You are a beacon for people in an impossible storm. I love that you have a loving husband that adores you. I love that you have 3 healthy daughters that rely on you, knowing that you are always there for them. I love that you have friends that see the true you.. you are not defined by what has taken place in your past. I love that you have so much love to give..❤️ My heart does hurt. My mind flashes to things that I’ve read and emotions are sparked. I feel hate, I feel dread, I feel powerless. When that passes though.. I feel the tug of all the other emotions and love prevails. Even though I have not experienced these things I have learned lessons from your book. Patience, grace, looking at the positive and encouraging others… These are the ideals that I will do my best to practice in my daily life in honor of all of the struggles that you endured. You are loved… you are powerful, you are not replaceable, you are strong. Your heart is full and the people lucky enough to know you are blessed..❤️ You are loved. This book will stick with me for years to come… You are going to touch so many lives.. ”

Lisa S.

“A spark of hope has peppered your life, it was unrelenting. You may not have recognized it at first, but it was apparent as you learned to maneuver the complexities & abuses of your young life. It was woven throughout, even if unbeknownst to you at the time. God has given you purpose, as his word promised in Isaiah 61:3, he’ll trade beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for the spirit of heaviness. He wastes nothing. To see how He graciously and mercifully provided angels along the is powerful. Your life experiences, while difficult to read, was something I couldn’t just put down, I needed to continue reading it straight though. Your way with words, comparisons and dichotomies are what continued to pull me in. Your raw honesty was evident without being overpowering. I cannot applaud you enough for reclaiming your strength through your words. It’s my profound belief that this will help many who have or are walking this healing journey. ”

Maria T.