From Publishers Weekly
At age 45, Petersen, a journalist with a devoted husband and two young sons, underwent therapy to understand why she felt "invaded" by the little boys that she loved. Under the counselor's guidance, she recovered memories of her father's sexual abuse, finding in her eruptive rages and dreams recollections of the ugly secret--and its effects--long hidden behind her father's public reputation as a respected surgeon in San Francisco. Petersen describes the rapes to which she and, she later discovered, her older half sister were subjected. The book requires strong nerves to read, but this brave account is an important contribution to incest testimonies. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
While reliving a painful and frightening childhood incident takes great courage, even more is required to willingly expose a tragic family secret to the close scrutiny of strangers. Petersen, the daughter of a respected physician, reveals the childhood trauma of incest and the effect it had on her life as well as those of her husband and children. Her balanced, rational, sometimes poetic account of her feelings recalls the horrifying incidents and their aftermath in a way that will leave no reader unmoved. While she does not present her father as a monster, there can be no doubt of the mental and emotional anguish she suffered at his hands. This is not an easy book to read, but Petersen ultimately offers a strong ray of hope to all. Recommended for public as well as academic libraries.
- Barbara Flynn, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Barbara Flynn, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
