Customer Reviews

Out of the Dark: One Woman's Harrowing Journey to Discover Her Past

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(1)
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This book tells the story of a remarkable woman who has endured alot of pain and hardship in her life. Spanning 3 continents and all the various incidents which encompasses her life experiences, Linda Caine's story tells of a woman's re-awakening to the worst horror of her life - having been abused as a child with her mum complicit. I was fasinated by how the truth which she managed to block out for most of her life came back in an insidious way to haunt her. It is almost as if it was forcing her to acknowledge it, and almost as if her unconscious was adamant that she realised what it was she had gone through. Linda Caine's courage and strength in the face of all this revelation and how her faith pulled her through is uplifting and inspiring. I also enjoyed reading about the people who cared for her and who were selfless in their wish to see her recover and gain control over her life again. It is amazing how a woman who has lived through so many bad times has such a love and zest for life and all things living. It's a miracle that none of the nastiness and evil in life has managed to tarnish the core of her person. A very honest and heart felt piece of writing, and a real triumph for those who survived the difficult period.

I've spent a long time pondering my past and tried to make 'forgetting' my priority. This book has changed all that. There is nothing more frightening than waking or falling asleep to flick images of a moment or a time you have apparently forgotten - especially if it's something so terrible that you could only possibly associate it with a nightmare.

This book is about one woman's devastating past that becomes at war with her mind. An amazing story about past hurt and abuse that inevitably comes back to haunt 'Linda Caine,' and in the most distructable form possible...end the life - stop the pain.

A powerful book filled with despair, devastation, love and hope.

Thank you xxKxx

Superbly written, once i started reading i couldn't put it down! You get totally involved & lost in what's happening in the book. The struggle Linda (as well as her family) went through for so many years, & the realisation of what actually happened to her is indescribable. Made me face my little demons, & re-think & re-prioritise my life.

I read this book in one sitting! Each chapter moved me to tears. It is a book about a woman's struggle with her(Linda) past that seems to haunt her and that unfolds beautifully in this book. Robin's chapters also shed much needed light and prespective to Linda's struggles. If this book was fictional it would have been storytelling at its best but given it is a true story makes it profound! Touching, inspiring, thought-provoking, thrilling and moving! It is witten in simple yet powerful words. It is one book anyone with a heart would love!

Linda Caine is an artist; Robin Royston a practicing psychiatrist specializing in trauma: the two met up when Linda Caine began experiencing flashbacks and images out of nowhere. Together the two began an exploration of African roots which were to reveal the heart of forgotten memories and the source of Caine's depression, making her autobiography OUT OF THE DARK an emotionally charged, volatile self-exploration.

This book has left me speechless. It is one of the most powerful and moving books I have read. It moved me to tears. I have just finished it tonight and I cannot find the words to describe how amazing this book is. I really admire this woman and really look up to her, she has been through a lot!!

I don't know what audience this book is aimed at but it must, on reflection, be at the layman, and it is incredibly boring. How many times has your heart sunk into your boots as someone says "I had the weirdest dream last night" and then proceeds to tell you all about it? Well, if that scenario creates dry heaves, prepare for cementitus as there are dozens of dreams recapped verbatim et literatum. I don't doubt that Linda was subjected to some forms of abuse but what concerns me is that the 'abuser' is dead by the time of publication and cannot defend herself. Her co-abuser is never named - perhaps because he still lives? And how many adulterers (her mother) have a warning system based on the collection of a cake? And how many grandmothers would participate in this deceit?

Linda's recovery miraculously coincides with the end of her medical insurance which enabled her to live in a style that most people on this earth can only dream of - calling for coffee whenever she wished, a personal glazier, her laundry dealt with, a gym on the premises, personal guards watching whilst she slept.

I did not like Linda's character and, coming from a multi-suicidal family, I found it difficult to believe that, after a number of years, her constant futile hacking at her wrists was supposed to engender sympathy in the reader's heart. If everything is true then she had an awful life but I still can't understand why she felt the need to tell a VERY, VERY long story about it. I managed to finish the book; I felt sorry for her; bad things happen all the time. Amen

I cannot remember ever having been moved to tears by a book before - by Chapter Three to be precise. If this was a work of fiction it would be simply brilliant, but as a biographical piece, which it is, it is quite breathtaking. This is a traumatic journey of discovery following the author's, apparently sudden, onset of depression. The chapters are alternately written by Linda Caine and her psychologist, which helps to highlight the difficulties encountered, particularly by the latter, in trying to establish the cause of Linda's condition. Truly inspirational.

This book is heartbreaking, uplifting, inspiring and empowering all while telling the true story of Linda Caine's struggle with a depression that is vividly described as a "darkness" within her. The book is written in intertwining sections written by Linda and her psychotherapist, Robin Royston. This proves for an interesting dual-perspective narrative, which makes it very fascinating to read.

Linda's story really grabs you as you read it. It is incredible when you read this book to remind yourself it's all true. It's not a story in the fictional sense- Linda lived it all. It is truly inspiring, brought me to tears on many occasions, and helped me come to terms with things in my own life.

To anyone who feels, I would highly recommend this book.