Diary of Abuse, Diary of Healing [Paperback]

Jennifer J. Richardson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1996

Diary of Abuse, Diary of Healing is a description account of the abuse perpetrated on a child by two mentally ill parents. It contains graphic recollections of actual beatings and sexual abuse. Most important it is the story of an individual's recovery through adulthood. Step-by-step descriptions of therapy sessions are an inspiration to anyone who is in the process of healing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A child's portrait of survival in a domestic inferno." -- Richard M. Krause, MD, National Institutes of Health

"An inspiring tribute to the power of the human spirit." -- Carol Koffinke, author

"Heart-rending child abuse in a 'home' like a concentration camp." -- Leonard Shengold, MD, author of "Soul Murder"

From the Publisher

Diary of Abuse/Diary of Healing is the true story of a survivor of horrible emotional, physical and sexual abuse. For years, the heroine, "Charlotte Smith" contemporaneously documented in her diary, the war being waged in her home--not unlike the young Anne Frank, who documented a war going on in the world. Through the eyes of the child victim, we see the effects of abuse on an individual. Later, we also learn the steps Charlotte took to heal, with the help of her gifted therapist, as also recorded in Charlotte's diary. Richard M. Krause, MD of the National Institutes of Health calls the book, "A child's portrait of endurance and survival in an domestic inferno." Carol Koffinke, author of "I'll Never Do That to my Kids" calls Dairy of Abuse/Diary of Healing, "An inspiring tribute to the power of the human spirit." and noted author and New York psychoanalyst Leonard Shengold, MD calls the book "Heart-rending child abuse in a 'home' like a concentration camp." It! is an inspirational book for anyone who has been abused, knows someone who has, or wants to learn more about this societal problem.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Recovery Communications (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0961599588
• ISBN-13: 978-0961599584
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,569,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an immediate, intense account of child abuse., March 21, 1999

By 

Mary G. Dabbs (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Diary of Abuse, Diary of Healing (Paperback)

Jennifer J. Richardson doesn't hold forth on the failure of our social agencies to protect abused children, and she doesn't lecture on the psychodynamics of victimization. She lets Charlotte, a victim of violent parents, tell her own story in her own words. Richardson provided a factual framework based on Charlotte's diary and then put me into Charlotte's head, which is a terrifying and puzzling place. Once there, though, I had no influence on her. "Now's your chance to get away," I'd say, but Charlotte stayed put. Finally, when I was about to give up on her, she did some things right. As she began to see her life for what it was, so did I. By the end of the book, I understood the trap she had been in and why it took her so long to try to get out of it. Nevertheless, when I finished, I wanted to know more, which is, I think, the sign of a really good book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly intense story. I read it straight through., August 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Diary of Abuse, Diary of Healing (Paperback)

An exhausting account of one woman's life of abuse and healing. This is a woman with the courage to lay out the harsh truth so that she may heal all the way through; to the very core of her existence. I began this book one evening, and finished it a few hours later- not a story you can break from. I commend this woman for her strength; she is truly an inspiration. This book has helped me alot. Thank you, Jennifer J. Richardson.